Blake Hinson finished with a game-high 37 points for the Santa Cruz Warriors in Wednesday night’s 145-111 victory over the Osceola Magic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla. The standout forward made 13-of-19 shot attempts from the field, including six 3-pointers that helped the Warriors jump out to a 30-point advantage in the second quarter.
Two-way forward Braxton Key recorded 26 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while forward Javan Johnson made five 3-pointers en route to 23 points. Teammate Yuri Collins earned his 11th double-double of the season, putting up 15 points and 11 assists to go along with six rebounds.
Two-way forward Jackson Rowe, in his first game back from injury, contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and two steals for Santa Cruz, which is coming off a 118-107 win over the Mexico City Capitanes at Chase Center—home of the Golden State Warriors—on March 9.
Two-way guard Mac McClung—a three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion—led the Magic with 25 points and three steals, while forward Myron Gardner followed closely behind with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Two-way guard Ethan Thompson recorded 16 points and four rebounds and guard/forward Jarrett Culver contributed 15 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench for Osceola.
Osceola found early success crashing the offensive glass, scoring back-to-back putback layups to cap off a 12-3 Magic run and take a seven-point advantage just over four minutes into the game.
Hinson and Key led Santa Cruz’s charge to begin the game, scoring 22 of the team’s first 24 points as the Warriors reclaimed a 24-21 lead with four minutes to play in the opening frame.
In the second quarter, the Sea Dubs’ offense continued to surge as a rim-rattling fast break dunk from Hinson put an exclamation point on an early 7-0 run, forcing the Magic to take a timeout trailing 46-23.
After starting the game 0-of-13 from behind the arc, McClung and forward Jalen Slawson connected on a pair of shots from distance, bringing Osceola within 20 points. But it was Hinson, Key and Johnson who stole the show after they combined for 65 points in the first half.
The Warriors led by as many as 41 points—one point shy of a franchise record—with 1:50 remaining in the game.
Next up, Santa Cruz (14-12) will travel to Alabama for a pair of games against the Birmingham Squadron (11-17) on Friday at 5pm, followed by a meeting Sunday at 1pm.
