EDINBURG — For an entire game, the RGV Vipers were in search for a hot hand.
They settled with warm. On this day, however, that was good enough as the Vipers won their third straight game 107-102 over Birmingham to improve to 6-3. There was nobody to score 30 points. In fact, only TyTy Washington even reached the 20-point mark, doing so in the fourth quarter.
The play-making guard, however, was key in moving the ball around, penetrating the lane and picking up two later steals to help lead the team to an “ugly” victory. He finished with 20 points, four assists, two steals and one rebound.
“They were more physical than us, and we kinda played 1-on-1 basketball and that didn’t work for us,” Washington said. “We need to move the ball, and as long as you are moving it something good is going to happen.
Leading 107-96 with time winding down, Birmingham hit a 3, RGV turned the ball over and Birmingham hit another 3 to cross the 100-point mark. Prior to that, it looked as if the Vipers were going to hold an opponent to fewer than 100 points for the first time this season.
“It was a sloppy game and we were being careless,” Washington said. “Coach has told us we have to play all the way through the game until 0.0 is on the clock. As talented as we are, we can’t be having those sloppy turnovers or relax, especially at the end. They are going to do whatever they have to to get the ball.”
James Kelly Sr., a 6-8, 240-pound space taker, scored a season-high 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds before he fouled out. Kelan Martin added 22 for the Squadron, who had their franchise-record three-game road winning streak ended.
“Our guys got frustrated. Birmingham put out a big team, and they switched a lot,” Vipers head coach Kevin Burleson said. “They switched a lot and we couldn’t get into some of our actions. It was about emotional control at that point, and that’s been our mantra since the beginning of the season.”
Burleson added that the goal was to allow 25 points or less in each of the four quarters. They were halfway there, allowing 20 in the first and 25 in the third. They had only allowed 23 in the fourth until the two last-gasp 3-pointers during the game’s final half-minute.
It was also kids day at Bert Ogden Arena, and Burleson was quick to say that the 6,000-plus schoolchildren in attendance played a role in the victory.
“Kids are always energized, and they were all the way through,” he said. “This game was about who had the most energy and who could sustain. Players get tired. Kids don’t get tired.”
Birmingham had 13 offensive rebounds, nine coming from the wide-body Kelly, causing the Vipers grief throughout the game.
“When you switch you have to worry about the shooter, and if Trevor (Hudgins) is now on Kelly, he’s jumping over him no matter how tough Trevor is. That poses a lot of problems.”
Hudgins finished the day with 18 points. Trhae Mitchell hit a pair of 3s during the first half to end with six points but added eight rebounds, six assists and a steal.
There were 14 lead changes and eight ties in the game. RGV is now 5-1 all time against Birmingham, including 2-0 this season.
“I love watching film after these type of games,” Burleson said. “When you win big, you can show all the good things, but a game like this will give me things I can grab to teach the guys. Breaking down this game will be more about teaching.”