VIPERS OBTAIN WIN IN REGULAR SEASON OPENER

EDINBURG, Texas. (Dec. 28, 2023) – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (1-0), the NBA G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, defeated the NBA G League Ignite (0-1) on Thursday night at Bert Ogden Arena. 

During the first few minutes of the game both teams aimed to pull away from one another. With 6:27 to go the game was tied 16-16. Ignite then pulled away with the lead, but not for long as the Vipers came back and took the upper hand. Ignite then tied the game one more time at 24-24. The game was then tied one final time in the quarter with less than two minutes to go and a score of 26-26. RGV then pulled away and walked off the court with a 34-28 lead at the end of the fist. 

For the first four minutes of the second quarter the game was tied two times before RGV pulled away with the lead and maintained it for the rest of the quarter. At the half the Vipers led 65-56.

In the third quarter the Vipers continued to rise to the top as the team had a 16-point advantage with 10:30 remaining on the clock and a score of 72-56. Ignite then came from behind and shortened that lead to nine points which sent the game into the fourth with a score of 89-80. 

Ignite lit up the fourth quarter as the team went on a 15-6 run and tied the game 95-95 with 8:24 left. RGV then stopped that fire as the clock struck 2:34 and the Vipers pulled away with a 110-103 advantage. Ignite attempted to come back, but the Vipers pulled away with a 115-109 victory. 

Seven of the nine Vipers players who played scored in the double digits with Houston Rockets Two-Way Jermaine Samuels Jr. leading the way with 22 points followed by Nate Williams Jr. with 20 points and Jalen Lecque with 17 points. Jarrett Culver had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Both Houston Rockets Two-Way Nate Hinton and Darius Days both scored 12 points. Ray Spalding put up 11 points. 

Ron Holland led all scorers and Ignite with 23 points followed by John Jenkins with 18 points and Izan Almansa with a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Babacar Sane scored 15 points and Norris Cole had 10 points. 

The action continues as Ignite and RGV return to the Bert Ogden Arena tomorrow, Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m CST. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a Fang bobblehead presented by Lone Star National Bank. To purchase tickets, visit www.rgvipers.com.