G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Vipers Unable to Overcome Third Quarter Struggles

Published on April 24, 2011 under NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release


HIDALGO, TEXAS - The top-seeded Iowa Energy outscored the defending NBA Development League champion and third-seeded Rio Grande Valley Vipers 29-9 in the third quarter to take the lead and pull away for the 123-106 win in Game 1 of the best of three Finals on Sunday at State Farm Arena in front of a crowd of 4,069.

The nine points are the second fewest points ever scored by a team in a single quarter of the Finals, with the record being eight points by North Charleston in the third quarter at Greenville (4/8/02).

The Vipers (3-2) must win on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa to force a decisive Game 3. Vipers fans can watch the game together during a watch party at Pepper's at Uptown. The game will be televised on VERSUS, which can be found on Time Warner Cable channel 314 (SD)/1314 (HD), Dish Network channel 151 and DirecTV channel 603.

The Vipers missed their first eight shots of the third quarter as the Energy (5-1) went on a 7-0 run to take a 66-63 lead. Richard Roby ended the drought at the 7:43 mark to bring the Vipers within 66-65. The Energy scored the next 12 points to take a 78-65 lead while the Vipers missed seven more shots. The Energy led the Vipers 88-72 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Vipers opened the fourth quarter on a 14-5 run to pull within 93-86. Mouhammad Faye hit a pair of free throws with 2:54 remaining to bring the Vipers within 108-102. Matt Janning hit a lay-up off of a Terrel Harris steal 20 seconds later to bring the Vipers within 108-104, but Curtis Stinson hit a jumper, Moses Ehambe hit a three-pointer, Michael Haynes hit a three-pointer and Scott VanderMeer sank a pair of free throws to put the Energy up 118-104 with 1:05 remaining.

Stinson recorded a triple-double while recording game-highs in points (29), rebounds (10) and assists (10). Ehambe hit 6-of-13 shots from behind the arc while scoring 26 points. Stefhon Hannah recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.

The Vipers were led in scoring by Faye, who had 22 points and nine rebounds. Jerel McNeal scored 20 points with eight rebounds, Roby scored 17 points with eight rebounds and Janning scored 17 points with seven rebounds.

The Vipers out-rebounded the Energy 54-to-46, but outscored in fast break points 38-to-20.

The teams traded baskets in the early minutes, but after Hannah hit a three-pointer to bring the Energy within 12-10 with 8:41 remaining in the first quarter, the Vipers went on an 11-2 run to take a 23-14 lead on a lay-up by Janning with 5:39 remaining.

Roby and McNeal hit back-to-back three-pointers early in the second quarter to put the Vipers up 45-31. The Vipers led 53-40 after a Faye put-back layup at the 6:30 mark, but Ehambe hit a jumper and a pair of three-pointers and Stinson hit the go-ahead lay-up as part of a 19-4 run by the Energy that gave them a 59-57 lead with 1:28 remaining. Harris, Jon Scheyer and Connor Atchley hit consecutive baskets to give the Vipers the lead back at 63-59.

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NBA G League Stories from April 24, 2011


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