Vipers Defeat 66ers in Final Seconds on Saturday

Published on March 7, 2009 under NBA G League (G League)
Tulsa 66ers News Release


Tulsa, OK - Despite double-doubles from both Ryan Humphrey and Keith Clark, the Tulsa 66ers were defeated by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 99-96, after a Kurt Looby dunk with 16.4 seconds remaining in the game on Saturday night at the SpiritBank Event Center. Humphrey finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Clark put in 14 points, snagged 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.

Tulsa battled back from a 15-point deficit with 7:33 remaining in the game, by going on a 22-6 run to tie the game at 96 with just over a minute remaining. Gary Forbes led the charge with 10 points in the quarter, as he converted four layups, while Jeremy Kelly hit two three-pointers down the stretch.

"We got a very good effort tonight, and we know that we can't win without that kind of effort," 66ers Head Coach Paul Woolpert said. "We just need to clean up a few things for tomorrow."

Both teams committed season-lows in turnovers, as the Vipers committed eight, while the 66ers turned the ball over only nine times in the game. There were six lead changes and 14 times where the teams were tied during the contest.

The 66ers made more field goals (40) than the Vipers (39), and were efficient at the offensive end with 20 assists as a team. The Vipers had 11 more opportunities at the free throw line, shooting 18-for-26 (69.2%) compared to 11-for-15 (73.3%) for the 66ers.

Tulsa outrebounded Rio Grande Valley 46-44, and scored more points in the paint (50-48).

The 66ers were led by Kelly with 22 points and six assists. Forbes finished with 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, while Yemi Ogunoye had six points and seven boards. Signed earlier in the afternoon, Shaun Livingston put up six points and dished out three assists in his debut.

Jawad Williams led the Vipers with a game-high 28 points, while Jared Jordan pitched in 12 points and seven assists. Trent Strickland added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Craig Winder had 10 points off the bench. Looby had six blocks and 12 rebounds for the Vipers.

Rio Grande Valley (14-22) and Tulsa (7-28) tip off in the second game of the back-to-back set tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.

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