Thunderbirds Cruise Past Vipers
January 26, 2008 - NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release
Albuquerque, N.M., January 25, 2008 - The Albuquerque Thunderbirds dominated the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 97 - 74. Josh Gross led all scorers with 20 points for Albuquerque followed by teammate Daniel Horton with 18. Ali Berdiel picked up where he left off last game for the Thunderbirds, posting solid all around statistics with 16 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Trent Strickland was the lone bright spot for the Vipers, scoring 21 points on 6 for 9 shooting and hitting on 9 of 12 free throws. Kris Collins chipped in 14 for Rio Grande Valley off the bench for the struggling Vipers who dropped their fifth straight game.
The game was a low scoring affair for Rio Grande Valley, they managed only 36 points in the first half, shooting a dismal 28.6% from the floor. Nearly half the Vipers points came from the free throw line as they made 16 out of 22 attempts.
After starting the game cold, the Vipers turned a 10 - 0 deficit into a 22 - 21 lead by the end of the first quarter. Rio Grande Valley capitalized on 8 Thunderbirds turnovers in the quarter. The Thunderbirds answered in the second quarter with timely shooting and tough defensive rebounding, helping them to a 63 - 36 halftime lead.
Things only got worse for Rio Grande Valley in the second half as the Thunderbirds opened up their biggest lead at 27 points despite committing 22 turnovers. Albuquerque won the battle of the boards, grabbing 47 to just 34 by the Vipers. They trailed only once in the game, at the end of the first quarter.
The Albuquerque Thunderbirds will face the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Saturday, January 26th at Tingley Coliseum; game time is set for 7:00 pm. Saturday will be "Spirit Night" featuring the Cheerleading 101 Camp presented by Team Athletic Supply.
Thunderbirds 2007-08 single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at abqtbirds.com, any Ticketmaster location or at the Thunderbirds front office at 111 Lomas Blvd. NE, Suite 240, Albuquerque, NM 87102. For premium or group seating call the Thunderbirds office at (505) 265-DUNK.
The Thunderbirds stay focused on the community by participating in community events such as the Read to Achieve Program as well as D-League Cares. In the past two seasons the Thunderbirds have worked over 3,000 hours in the community, staying dedicated to Albuquerque and New Mexico.
• Discuss this story on the NBA G League message board...
NBA G League Stories from January 26, 2008
- Seven Players Score in Rage's 7-1 Win - Colorado 14ers
- D-League Daily Developments - G League
- Thunderbirds Cruise Past Vipers - New Mexico Thunderbirds
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
