Vipers Fall to Memphis at Home
December 17, 2019 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
EDINBURG, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (4-13) faced the Memphis Hustle (14-1) on Tuesday afternoon and fell 132-109.
Memphis Hustle got off to a quick start in the first quarter as they took a 10-7 lead over the Vipers. RGV went on a 18-15 run to tie the quarter 25-25 with a three-pointer from guard Jacobi Boykins. Memphis hustled on the court and took back its lead to end the first quarter at 37-34.
In the first minutes of the second quarter, Brandon Sampson tied the game at 41-41, but Memphis hustled its way back to the top and took a 70-60 lead going into halftime.
Memphis Grizzlies two-way player Yuta Watanabe led the first half with 19 points along with two rebounds. Dusty Hannahs followed with 12 points. Houston Rockets assignee Isaiah Hartenstein led the Vipers with 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Two-way player Michael Frazier II and Boykins contributed 11 and 10 points respectively.
The Vipers battled to reach the top in the third quarter, but Memphis went on a 29-26 run and increased its lead to 99-86.
Both teams battled it out in the fourth quarter, but only one would come out on top. Memphis captured a 132-109 win over RGV.
Frazier finished with a team-high of 25 points. Hartenstein totaled 16 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Brandon Sampson hit 17 points. Two-way player Chris Clemons added 16 points, four rebounds and five assists followed by Boykins with 13 points and four rebounds. Also scoring in the double-digits was Matur Maker with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The top scorer of the night was Hannahs with 31 points. Watanabe summed up 24 points, six rebounds and four assists followed by Jarrod Uthoff with 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Josh Jackson added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists to the scoreboard. Two-way player John Konchar contributed 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
The Vipers will travel to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for the MGM Resorts G League Winter Showcase. On Friday Dec. 20 the Vipers will play the first game of the tournament against Long Island at 5:30 p.m. CT. For more information, contact the RGV Vipers at 956-56-ARENA or visit www.rgvipers.com.
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