Jam Falters Down Stretch In Loss To Utah
January 15, 2010 - NBA G League (G League)
Bakersfield Jam News Release
(Bakersfield, Calif. - January 14, 2010) - After three quarters of highly competitive basketball, the Bakersfield Jam (4-15) collapsed completely, posting a measly six points en route to a 109-88 loss at the hands of the Utah Flash, who improved to 11-9 on the season.
Bakersfield battled hard over the first 36 minutes, staying within 85-82 of the Flash despite getting killed on the glass and shooting half as many free throws at a significantly lower percentage. Reece Gaines scored all of his team-high 17 points before the abysmal fourth quarter, and Amara Sy fought foul trouble to notch 11 of his 13 points in the first three frames.
The fourth, however, saw the Jam turn the ball over nine times and shoot just 1-for-13 from the floor, turning a hotly contested matchup into a laugher by the time the final buzzer rang. The Flash got five points apiece from high scorers Luke Nevill (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Dontell Jefferson (24 points, 4 assists), and sank 12 of their 15 free throws in the period.
All in all, Bakersfield proved unable to overcome a 51-35 deficit on the boards and a shocking disparity at the free throw line, where Utah finished 34-for-44 compared to the Jam's 12-for-20. Leading scorer Brian Butch had another tough shooting night, finishing with just 9 points on 4-for-14 shooting.
Carlos Wheeler (14 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) and Bennet Davis (12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) both picked up double-doubles for the Flash, the latter doing so in only 24 minutes off the bench. Fellow reserve Brian Hamilton posted an impressive 5-for-6 shooting night to finish with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Orien Greene - who added four steals to his league-leading total - rounded out the double-figure scorers for Utah with 14
Jeremy Wise added 12 points in a reserve role for the Jam, who will finish a four-game homestand with a Saturday game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders and a Sunday rematch with Utah. The Flash will see Los Angeles on Friday night at Staples Center before returning to Bakersfield on Sunday.
A complete box score for this game can be found at http://www.nba.com/dleague/games/boxscore.jsp?gameId2020900133.
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