The body language of several Mad Ants players was not good as they walked from the Coliseum floor, trailing Rio Grande Valley 55-47.
The game was tied at 45-all when Tony Mitchell drained a three-point jumper with 3:39 left, but Rio Grande Valley finished with a six-point flurry to build the halftime lead to eight.
Much of the Vipers' success in the first half came from offensive put-backs. Vernon Macklin, the 6-foot-10 center from Florida, leads Rio Grande Valley with 15 points.
Mitchell leads the Ants with 12 points, and Ron Howard has 10.
