Ian Mahinmi Returns to the Toros

With the Austin Toros suffering through a brutal month of March in which the team played nearly every game on the road and came away with only two wins for their bus-punishing efforts, the team was greeted with good news last week with the San Antonio Spurs’ reassignment of Guard Malik Hairston. Today they were greeted with more good news - the reassignment of center Ian Mahinmi.

Mahinmi has spent much of this season with the Spurs, albeit on the DL. A right ankle injury has nagged him all season and was operated on January 31. Recuperation has been on the long end of the 6 to 10 weeks anticipated but Spurs and Toros fans hope the lengthy rehabilitation will bring Mahinmi back to the team in the sort of condition that got him All-NBA D-League First Team honors last season.

The Toros defeated the lowly Tulsa 66ers last night 131-119 by whipping up 41 points in the first quarter and cruising to victory from then on. The win snaps a three game losing streak and secures the Toros second place in the Southwest Division going into the playoffs with five games left. The Toros can clinch a playoff spot by defeating the Iowa Energy this Saturday night at the Austin Convention Center. Be there.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Austin Toros Extend First Place Lead in Southwest Division

The Austin Toros continue to roll, extending their winning streak to four games after winning the last three games in the month of February. The Toros took two at home from the Albuquerque Thunderbirds 106-101 and 117-111, then won at the Tulsa 66ers 89-83 last night. Their Southwest division lead continues to grow on the idle Colorado 14ers who they meet for the last time in the regular season Wednesday at Colorado. The Toros won seven of their nine games in February and haven’t lost two games in a row since early January.

March will be a real test for the Toros as they play all but one game on the road, Tuesday March 10 against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Toros play only 8, it’s enough to win

The Austin Toros had only eight healthy bodies to play against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers yesterday afternoon, but it was more than enough. The Toros outscored the Vipers by 16 points in the second quarter and held on for victory even after the Vipers recovered from a 20 point deficit in the third quarter. The Toros won 92-85.

Eric Dawson and Pops Mensah-Bonsu scored 45 points between the two of them, leading all scorers.

The Colorado 14ers continue to lead the Southwest Division of the D-League, having won 5 in a row. The Toros are in the midst of a slow point in the season, next playing a week from tonight in Anaheim and the following night in Los Angeles against teams quite sufficiently below .500. The 14ers face the lowly Tulsa 66ers Wednesday.

Toros Sweep 66ers in Weekend Series

Even without Malik Hairston, the Austin Toros are a force to be reckoned with. Hairston was recalled to the San Antonio Spurs Saturday and did not play Friday night. The lineup features a number of new faces. Fan favorite Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson celebrated his birthday Thursday by being waived by the Toros due to injury. He has been replaced by Guard Jason Parker, Forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and Guard Nate Brown.

Pops made an immediate impact in Friday’s game against the Tulsa 66ers by scoring 23 and collecting 13 rebounds. The Toros won Friday 111-91 and led by as many as 27 points, early in the third quarter.

Pops led the Toros with 25 more in Saturday’s game which the Toros won 102 to 88. Ezra Williams is making the most of his callup to the starting rotation with 20 points on Friday and 24 points on Saturday.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Toros Take T-Birds in OT

The Austin Toros fended off the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the fourth quarter to take the game into deep water where a surging Marcus Williams scored seven in Overtime to defeat the dastardly Thunderbirds 125-121.

The Toros faultered in the third quarter in order to give the Thunderbirds hope in the fourth but outclassed them man-for-man throughout.

The Thunderbirds fall below .500 on the season while the Toros continue to dominate the Southwestern Division. The Toros next take on the bottom-feeding Tulsa 66ers for back-to-back games in Tulsa Friday and Saturday night. games the Toros should win.

The Austin Toros host a Basketball Skills Competition at the 2009 Texas Testosterone Festival. More details as they are available.

Toros Continue Best Start in Franchise History

The Austin Toros whooped the Tulsa 66ers 89 to 78 for their seventh straight victory and second against the struggling 66ers. Malik Hairston returned from a short trip down to the San Antonio Spurs to score 17 and Andre Brown scored 20 more in a game the 66ers led by 8 points at the half.

But no one really believed they had a chance.

Last night’s game is the first of a two-game, two-night homestand at the Austin Convention Center. The Toros host the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight.

Toros clip 66ers for First Win!

Malik Hairston scored 33 points as the Toros posted a 105-91 win over the 66ers Saturday night. Trailing 50-43 at halftime, the Toros used a big third quarter to grab a 75-64 lead. Read the game recap by clicking here.