BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Jacksonville State junior Tarvin Gaines has been named the Ohio Valley Conference's Men's Basketball Newcomer of the Week for his efforts on the floor in the past two games, the league office announced on Monday.

Gaines, a 6-foot-6 forward from West Memphis, Ark., and a transfer from Lawson State Community College, led the Gamecocks (2-2) to a 1-1 record last week with a loss at No. 20 Cincinnati and a win at home over in-state foe Alabama State. He averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game, while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 84 percent from the free throw line.

His main production came in Saturday's win over the Hornets, when Gaines poured in 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to notch his first double-double of the season. It was the first double-double of the year by a Gamecock and made him the first 30-point scorer for JSU since Trenton Marshall did it two seasons ago.

Against ASU, Gaines went 9-for-14 from the floor, including a 2-for-4 night from behind the arc, while dropping 10 of his 11 attempts from the charity stripe. His five offensive and six defensive boards were more than any ASU player's total rebounds and helped JSU to a 40-19 advantage on the glass.

In Gaines' first game of the week, he played limited minutes at Cincinnati because of a hand injury he suffered on Sunday at Marshall. He still managed eight points and five boards in 21 minutes of reserve action.

The honor is the first weekly honor for the Gamecocks this season.

Gaines and the Gamecocks will return to the floor on Friday, when they take on Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on the Gamecock Sports Network with Mike Parris calling the play-by-play. The game can be heard on WLJS 91.9 FM, WVOK 97.9 FM and online at www.jsugamecocksports.com.