Thunderbirds get back on winning track
January 14, 2006 - NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., January 13, 2006- The Albuquerque Thunderbirds added one to the win column Friday night as they defeated the Fort Worth Flyers 88-79 at Tingley Coliseum, increasing their record to 10-7 on the season.
Albuquerque jumped on the Flyers early grabbing a 20-14 lead after the first quarter. Fort Worth made a push late in the second quarter and went into the locker room down by only one basket at 40-38. The third quarter was back and forth, but Albuquerque squeaked out on top 66-61.
The Thunderbirds came out hot in the fourth grabbing a 12 point lead early and looked to slam the door. However the Flyers fought back, pulling within five points with two minutes remaining in the game. But in the end, the Thunderbirds held on, finishing up by nine.
Joe Shipp led the Albuquerque charge by scoring a game high 23 points, followed by the newest member to the Thunderbird roster, Tierre Brown who drained 17 points. Other Thunderbirds in double digits included Andreas Glyniadakis with 14 points and Chuck Hayes who turned in a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing an impressive 18 rebounds. Albuquerque dominated in the paint, scoring 56 of their 88 points at close range, compared to only 30 by Fort Worth.
High scorers for the Forth Worth Flyers included Rawle Marshall with 21 points, and 13 points by Ime Udoka.
"It was a great win for us and gives us momentum heading into the weekend," said Thunderbird head coach Michael Cooper
The Thunderbirds hit the road tomorrow for the MLK Showcase in Fayetteville, N.C. The T-birds will play Tulsa on Sunday and Austin on Monday.
Next home game for Albuquerque will be Friday January 20th with tip-off set for 7pm.
Thunderbirds tickets start as low as $9 and can be purchased at abqtbirds.com or at Ticketmaster locations. For premium or group seating call the Thunderbirds office at (505) 265-DUNK.
The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).
The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. Thirty-four (34) players have been called up to the NBA on 50 separate occasions. Eleven (11) former D-League coaches, six athletic trainers, 14 referees and 30 front office executives have also been called up since the start of the league's inaugural season in November 2001.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.
For more information about the Albuquerque Thunderbirds call (505) 265-DUNK or log on to www.abqtbirds.com.
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NBA G League Stories from January 14, 2006
- RimRockers fall to Tulsa - Arkansas RimRockers
- D-League daily developments - G League
- Thunderbirds get back on winning track - New Mexico Thunderbirds
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