Warriors Fall to Vipers
Published on December 27, 2015 under NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release
HIDALGO, Tex. - The NBA D-League Champion Santa Cruz Warriors (9-7) were defeated by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (10-6) 107-103 on Sunday at State Farm Arena.
Santa Cruz's Elliot Williams led all scorers with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Ronnie Brewer notched 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jarred Shaw posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Montrezl Harrell, playing on assignment from the Houston Rockets, and Will Cummings paced the Vipers with 20 points apiece. Jaron Johnson added 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Chris Walker recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Santa Cruz dominated in the opening minutes, holding a 13-4 lead at the 8:43 mark of the first quarter. The Warriors would remain in control for the remainder of the frame, ending the first quarter with a double-digit advantage. The Warriors would continue to hold the advantage in the second frame leading by as many as thirteen points, before the Vipers began chipping away at the lead to enter the break at a two-point deficit.
The second half was a tightly contested affair that saw 5 lead changes and 4 ties. The Vipers would go on a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take the 71-62 lead. Santa Cruz would come back to cut the Vipers' lead to two points heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter would see a back and forth contest until Rio Grande took a 90-87 lead with 9:04 left to play. Rio Grande would hold the lead for the duration of the remaining minutes, until Daniel Nwaelele scored a three-point shot to tie the game at 103-103, with 12 seconds remaining in the contest.
Trailing 105-103 with 7 seconds left, Ronnie Brewer would miss the go ahead layup off the Darington Hobson inbound pass. The Warriors would fall short to the Vipers 107-103.
The Santa Cruz Warriors will play the Austin Spurs on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. PST at Cedar Park Center. Fans can catch the game on the NBA D-League's YouTube channel, via www.santacruzbasketball.com.
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