Stars Comeback Falls Short in Loss to Rio Grande Valley Vipers

(March 14, 2026) — The Salt Lake City Stars saw their comeback fall short in a 116-105 loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Saturday night, dropping both games of the back-to-back series. The defeat moved Salt Lake City to 13-18 on the season.

Much like the series opener, Rio Grande Valley came out firing offensively. After a few early ties, the Vipers took control and built a 30-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. Rio Grande Valley continued to extend its advantage in the second, carrying a 60-43 lead into halftime.

Salt Lake City struggled to find momentum early in the second half as the Vipers pushed their lead further in the third quarter. The Stars mounted a rally in the fourth, opening the period with a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to four points. Despite nearly overcoming a 25-point deficit, Salt Lake City could not complete the comeback.

Dereon Seabron led the Stars for the second straight game with a season-high 24 points (9-15 FGM) while adding six rebounds and five assists. Sean East II followed with 23 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting, including 3-5 from three-point range.

Rio Grande Valley was led by Isaiah Crawford and Daishen Nix, who each scored 22 points from the starting lineup.

The Stars continue their road trip with a matchup against the Iowa Wolves on Monday, March 16, at 5:30 p.m. MT at Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will stream on NBAgleague.com.