RGV Capsules: Role players send Vipers to win over Toros
HIDALGO – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers got their offensive production of the usual suspects.
Marcus Morris had 22 points. Greg Smith had 15 points. Both just happen to be the Vipers’ NBA assignees from the Houston Rockets.
But it was guys like Willie Warren, Marshall Brown, Damian Saunders and Stanley Asumnu, yes the venerable Stanley Asumnu, that carried the Vipers to a 115-105 victory over the Austin Toros on Friday at State Farm Arena.
The Vipers broke free from an 85-85 tie after the third quarter to snap a two-game losing streak.
“The first team did a great job of keeping us in it, and the second group picked it up where they left off,” Warren said.
Warren paced the Vipers on offense in the fourth quarter. The former Oklahoma Sooner finished with 19 points. He had 13 in the fourth quarter on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Warren scored nine points in a 13-6 run that help the Vipers build a 104-93 lead with 5:11 remaining.
“I just wanted to do whatever it took to get my team the victory,” Warren said. “We were struggling energy-wise, and we needed the guys off the bench to give us a spark. It’s like tunnel-vision on the court, blocking everything out, fans, everything. It’s just you and your troops.”
Vipers coach Nick Nurse said of Warren: “He’s a tremendous talent, there is no doubt about that. He was super-energetic, and he’s fun to watch when he’s got it going, too.”
As much a spark Warren gave the Vipers on offense, Brown did an equally superb job on defense. Specifically, Brown was asked to lock down on his former Missouri teammate, Leo Lyons, who had blistered the Vipers for 29 points through the first 3 1/2 quarters. Lyons was a non-factor after the Vipers put Brown on him.
“Marshall was nose-to-nose with him,” Nurse said. “He was not going to let him get a clean look. Marshall has been giving us great efforts the last four or five games. It was nice to get him an extended run tonight.”
Saunders didn’t make a much of a dent on the stat sheet except for three blocked shots. But, he was active on defense. He got some key defensive rebounds and had a huge steal in the fourth quarter.
“He was tipping balls and blocking shots like crazy,” Nurse said. “I don’t think he got credit for a lot of them. But, he was getting his hands on a lot of stuff and protecting the rim. We had no rim protection for most of the first two and a half quarters.”
Asumnu, who has played for the Valley franchise in each of its five seasons of existence and wore a Vipers’ uniform for the 180th time on Friday, had a tip-in during the third quarter that cut the Toros’ lead to 77-76 and followed up a Kelvin Lewis miss on a 3-point attempt early in the fourth.
“Stan got a couple of big tip-ins and energized us,” Nurse said.
The victory pulled the Vipers to within a game of the Toros (19-9), who were tied for first with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League standings. Los Angeles played at Reno late Friday.
David Hinojosa covers the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442 or via email at dhinojosa@themonitor.com.
Vipers’ Uzoh signs with Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers today signed guard Ben Uzoh of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for the 22nd callup of the 2011-12 NBA Development League season. Uzoh joins more than 90 NBA players with NBA D-League experience currently on 2011-12 rosters.
In 12 games (all starts), Uzoh has averaged 16.8 points on .525 shooting, 6.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 34.4 minutes per game with the Vipers. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound point guard was named the D-League performer of the week for games played Jan. 16-22 after averaging 22.3 points on .651 shooting, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 37.0 minutes and leading Rio Grande Valley to a perfect 3-0 week. He scored a season-high 31 points to go with 10 assists for his first double-double of the season in a 116-104 road win over the Reno Bighorns on Jan. 21.
The 23-year-old from Tulsa spent the 2010-11 season with the New Jersey Nets, playing in 42 games and posting averages of 3.8 points on .424 shooting, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10.4 minutes per game.
Uzoh was expected to join the Cavaliers on Friday and be available Friday night when the team played host to the Milwaukee Bucks.
College
UTPA men's tennis wins second straight
PRAIRIE VIEW – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men’s tennis team beat the Bethany College Swedes, the No. 16 team in NAIA, 5-2 on Friday at the Prairie View Tennis Complex.
The Broncs (2-1) are 3-0 all-time against the Swedes (1-1).
The top three Broncs dispatched their opponents as Beau Bernstein, playing in the No. 1 spot, beat Marcelo Alecio, who is ranked No.45 in the nation in singles in the NAIA, 6-3, 6-2, Ricardo Hopker, playing in the No. 2 spot, beat Alex Sandri 6-2, 6-2 and Chetan Panditi, playing in the No. 3 spot, beat James Bragg 6-3, 6-3.
In No. 1 doubles, the duo of Panditi and Bernstein defeated Alecio and Kane Olsen, the No. 10 team in NAIA, 8-2, while the team of Victor Alves and Ricardo Hopker defeated Shane Higgins and Mivhale Van Bogaert 8-6.
The Broncs complete their three-game road swing at noon Saturday when they play St. Mary’s University.
-- UTPA Services
UTPA women lose at UTSA
SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women’s tennis team opened the spring season with a 6-1 road loss to the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners.
Malin Andersen recorded the Broncs’ (0-1) point, defeated Micaela Silva 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-0) in the No. 3 spot in singles. Wanda Beguelin came close in her singles match, before falling to Kavya Menon 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). The Roadrunners (3-0) defeated the Broncs in straight sets in the other four singles matches.
In doubles, the No. 2 team of Beguelin and Dana Nazarova came closest to victory, falling 8-3, while Andersen and Suncica Strkic fell 8-1 in the No. 1 spot and Blanca Garcia Izaguirre and Cindy Sands lost 8-2 in the No. 3 spot.
The Broncs return to action at 3:30 p.m. Friday when they visit California State University at Fullerton.
-- UTPA Services
Lopez, Alboniga earn track & field honors
EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Friday that McAllen-native and senior Andy Lopez and senior Sylvia Alboniga have earned Great West Conference Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors for performances at the Jeff Davis/McNeese II Indoor Invitational last week.
Lopez won the 800 meters with a time of 1:56.85. He also placed fourth in the mile run with a time of 4:22.76. Alboniga finished tied for third in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.48. She also placed fifth in the 400 meters with a time of 59.80.
In addition to UTPA and McNeese State, the meet featured teams from Arkansas Baptist College, Dillard University, Grambling University, Loyola University of New Orleans, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University at New Orleans, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Texas Southern University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Next up for the Broncs are the 2012 Great West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 25 and 26, hosted by Chicago State University.
-- UTPA Services
