Vipers drop heartbreaker to Bighorns 121-114
April 3, 2009 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
University of Nevada product Gary Hill-Thomas scored a team high 26 points off the bench in front of his home town fans as the Reno Bighorns (21-24) slipped past the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (20-26) with a 121-114 win Thursday night at the Reno Events Center. The loss snaps the Vipers three game road win streak and ends their hopes for a .500 campaign. The win keeps Reno's hopes for a winning season a live with six games left to play.
The Vipers started the game red hot beginning the first quarter on a 24-14 run to take a 10 point lead with 2:19 remaining. The Bighorns answered back with a furious run of their own closing the first frame on a 12-4 run and trailed 28-26 after the first 12 minutes.
It ended up being the second quarter that was the difference as the Bighorns outscored the Vipers 37-27 to take an eight point lead at the intermission. Reno would run the lead to as many as 15 in the third quarter. The Vipers trimmed the Reno lead to as few as two and had opportunities to tie or take the lead in the final minutes but were unable to close out the comeback.
Former University of North Carolina teammates Jawad Williams (RGV) and David Noel (Reno) had a tremendous head to head match-up. Williams scored 27 points and hauled in six rebounds for RGV while Noel scored 26, dished out nine assists and hauled in seven boards for the Bighorns.
Kurt Looby, despite being in foul trouble on a couple of occasions throughout the game, still managed to haul in a career high 19 rebounds while scored 16 points in the losing effort for RGV. Jared Jordan dished out only five assists but scored 21 points. Craig Winder scored 13 points and dished out four assists off the bench while Trent Strickland added 10 points and nine boards.
Rod Benson scored 21 points and finished a rebound shy of a double- double in the win for Reno. Richie Frahm scored 13 points despite having a poor shooting night. Russel Robinson scored only three points, but dished out a game high 10 assists in the Bighorn victory.
The Vipers return home for the next to last home tilt of the season when they host the Iowa Energy Sunday night at Dodge Arena. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 5:00 pm in Hidalgo. Reno will host the Erie Bayhawks on Saturday night at the Reno Events Center.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a professional basketball team in the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA's official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams for the 2008-09 season. An expansion team will begin play in Portland, Maine for the 2009-10 season. Sixty former NBA Development League players were on 2008-09 NBA start-of-season rosters, and the league continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league's connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.The Vipers NBA affiliates are the Houston Rockets, and the New Orleans Hornets.
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