This CEBL season has been one of many firsts. Niagara River Lions guard Dorian Pinson added another first, notching the league’s first-ever triple-double on May 24 in a 108-91 at the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
Pinson notched 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in just under 29 minutes of action for the league leading River Lions at 5-1 that night.
“Means a lot,” Pinson said. “It’s just gives me a reminder of how I can impact the game in different ways. It’s never really been about scoring for me it’s more of getting my teammates involved and doing all the little things it takes to win games & create a positive energy for the team.”
“It’s more exciting and a good feeling with this league because it’s a lot of fun and to achieve it with this group of guys makes it even better,” he added.
It was also Pinson’s first-ever professional triple-double, having been not so far removed from his college days.
The 22-year old Greenville, South Carolina native played four years at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in Harrogate, Tennessee as part of the NCAA Division II South Athletic Conference (SAC). This was after coming out of Legacy Charter high school. He left records at LMU and a legacy as a multiple-time All-American.
Foreshadowing his River Lions triple double, Pinson has shown versatility at LMU as well. He’s the only player in program history with over 1,300 career points, 900 career rebounds and 400 career assists. This was despite missing the whole second half of the 2016-17 season due to injury.
He notched the program’s first-ever triple double that year with a 10 rebound, 19 rebounds and 11 assists against Carson-Newman "As I told [White Wings Hanau] Coach Cote upon signing Dorian, he's getting one of those rare players that immediately makes any organization better just by his mere presence," LMU coach Josh Schertz told the LMU website. "He's a ferocious competitor whose basketball acumen is off the charts and to top it off he's without question the best leader I've ever coached.”
Pinson’s tenure there was part of the winningest stretch in not only LMU but SAC men’s basketball history. LMU went 126-14 between 2014 and 2018, posting the four highest single season win totals in program history.
Pinson and his team captured four SAC regular-season titles, two SAC tournament championships, two Southeast Regional championships and back-to-back appearances in the national semifinals, including a run to the 2016 national championship.
After leaving LMU in 2018, the business/sport management major signed in Germany with the White Wings Hanau in the German ProA league (division 2). Pinson averaged 12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.5 spg, shooting 45 per cent from the field and 38 per cent from three. He also
played for D2 in The Basketball Tournament.
Now he’s got his first professional triple-double as well with the River Lions rolling with four wins in a row.
“It just gives me more confidence in what I do and how well I do it and to continue doing it at a high level,” Pinson said. “Personal accolades are cool and fun but it’s more about winning and doing the things that go into winning with me, hopefully I can continue to fill the stat sheet and get a couple more.”
Pinson knows about winning and triple doubles. After doing so at LMU and Hanau, he’s starting to build his own legacy with the River Lions as well now, doing what he does best.
Written by Michael Sun