Santa Cruz Warriors Prevail Over Rio Grande Valley Vipers At Chase Center, 112-105

SAN FRANCISCO, CA– The Santa Cruz Warriors (15-11) prevailed over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (14-10), 112-105, in Sunday’s matinee matchup at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.  

Forward Gui Santos, on assignment from Golden State, led the Warriors with 26 points, adding eight rebounds and two steals. Two-way guard Jerome Robinson collected 16 points with six assists, and fellow two-way center Usman Garuba finished with eight points and led both teams with 14 rebounds.  

Forward Jarrett Culver led the game in scoring with 33 points, adding 12 rebounds and six assists. Houston Rockets two-way guard Jermaine Samuels Jr. contributed 21 points with 10 rebounds. Center Ray Spalding added 12 points and six rebounds, and guard Josh Reaves contributed 11 points off the bench for the Vipers. 

The Vipers held a slim lead throughout the first quarter until five straight points from forward Jackson Rowe gave the Sea Dubs their first lead of the contest, 23-22. Samuels Jr. responded with four consecutive points to give Rio Grande Valley a 28-25 advantage to end the opening frame. The Vipers pushed their lead to as many as 13 points in the second quarter before a layup from Rowe stopped a 10-0 Vipers run and reignited the Sea Dubs offense. The Warriors orchestrated a 16-4 run to reclaim a 54-53 lead with three minutes remaining in the frame and held on to enter the break with a 62-59 advantage.  

The Sea Dubs extended their lead to 10 points early in the third frame before an 8-0 Vipers run closed the gap and tied the game at 74 mid-way through the quarter. A late offensive push from Rio Grande Valley gave the Vipers an 88-80 lead to end the third period. Santa Cruz and Rio Grande Valley traded the lead throughout the final quarter until a Santos three-point play gave the Warriors a 96-93 advantage with less than seven minutes remaining in the contest. Santa Cruz maintained their lead for the remainder of the frame to secure a 112-105 win for the Sea Dubs at Chase Center. 

The Sea Dubs return to the Kaiser Permanente Arena on Tuesday, March 12th to host the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the second leg of their two-game series at 7 p.m. (PT), where the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Women’s Empowerment Month T-shirt, presented by Rakuten. Stay up to date with the latest Santa Cruz Warriors news, scores, and exclusive content by downloading the official Santa Cruz Warriors app for iOS and Android. Fans interested in securing the best seats at the lowest price are encouraged to call (831) 713-4400 or visit santacruzbasketball.com for more information.