Rio Grande Valley Vipers Drop Preseason Game, 101-98, to Austin Toros

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -MCALLEN, TEXAS - The Rio Grande Valley Vipers jumped out to a 36-23 first quarter lead, but the Austin Toros outscored the Vipers 60-39 over the next two quarters to beat the Vipers in a pre-season contest, 101-98, tonight at the South Padre Island Convention.

The Vipers jumped out to a 13-4 lead with 8:17 left in the first quarter. Mike Harris started the game with a fade-away jumper and Garrett Temple followed with a pair of three-pointers. Harris also had a slam dunk that nearly brought the basket down.

Temple and Harris stayed hot, scoring 13 and 11 points respectively while the Vipers built a 36-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Toros came roaring back in the second quarter as Alonzo Gee and Curtis Jerrells combined for 17 of their 30 first half points to tie the game 54-54 at halftime. The Vipers led throughout the entire game until there was 15 seconds left in the second quarter when Kenny Dawkins fouled Jerrells in the act of shooting a three-pointer. He made all three shots to give the Toros a 54-52 lead, but Mike Harris hit a lay-up with four seconds left to knot it up.

With 8:38 remaining in the third quarter, Harris hit a free throw to bring the Vipers within 60-59, but Russell Carter hit a three-pointer 18 seconds later to spark a 17-4 run until the 3:00 mark to make it 78-67. Temple hit a pair of free throws and Henry Dugat followed with a three-pointer and Mikell Gladness dunked the ball to bring the Vipers back within four. Lewis Clinch responded with a long two-pointer and a three-pointer in the final 1:05, but Dugat hit a driving lay-up at the buzzer to make it 83-75 Toros after the third quarter.

Third-year Viper Stanley Asumnu started the fourth quarter with four baskets to keep the game close as they got within 93-90 with under four minutes to play. The Toros hit a pair of buckets to take a 97-90 lead, but Haminn Quaintance and Antonio Anderson responded with baskets to make it 97-94 Toros with 1:51 to play. An errant Austin pass gave the Vipers the ball back, but Dwayne Jones swatted an Anderson dunk attempt. Jerrells missed a shot to set up a Kenny Dawkins drive down the lane. Jones tried to block that shot as well, but it was goal tending, making the score 97-96 Toros with 50.35 seconds remaining. Jerrells hit a jumper 19 seconds later, but Dawkins responded with a driving lay-up. After a foul, Gee hit both free throws to make it 101-98 Toros with 8.5 seconds left. Ernest Scott had a three-point shot partially blocked at the buzzer to end the game.

The Vipers open the season on Friday, November 27 against the Toros at the Austin Convention Center at 7:30 p.m.

Commissioner Bud Selig shaved drug suspensions of players and broke the rules of MLB. Will Manny Ramirez and three others do a year? What will happen to dozens of minor league players whose records, teams, and leagues are affected? Read the whole story at SZ ( www.mlnsports.com).