# News 12/7



## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Anaheim Snaps Flash two-Game Win Streak 99-91

*ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 5, 2007 - Steven Smith and Kedrick Brown combined for 48 points to lead the Anaheim Arsenal to a 99-91 NBA Development League victory over the Utah Flash Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center. 
The loss evened the Flash record at 3-3 coming into a six-game homestand beginning Friday when the Los Angeles D-Fenders visit the McKay Events Center in Orem. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. for the D-League Western Division matchup. Anaheim snapped a two-game losing skid, improving to 2-5 heading to Bakersfield on Saturday.

Smith finished with a game-high 28 points, including three three-pointers, and Brown followed with 20. Marquis Webb contributed 12 and Guillermo Diaz 11 for Anaheim.

James Lang scored 23 points and collected eight rebounds to lead the Flash before fouling out with 1:20 left in the game. Gabe Pruitt, on assignment from the Boston Celtics, followed with 21. Brian Hamilton chipped 11 and Brian Jackson 10 for Utah.

"This was a very winnable game," Flash head coach Brad Jones said. "I am disappointed that we couldn't execute when we needed to. We couldn't make the plays to win it down the stretch and Anaheim did. You have to give them credit."

Trailing by five after a Pruitt three-pointer with 1:02 to play, the Flash turned the ball over on two consecutive trips, allowing Anaheim to ice the game away from the free throw line. The Flash has suffered through 53 turnovers over the last two games, including 28 in the loss on Wednesday that led to 28 Arsenal points.
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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Aces Down Condors, 4-1*

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Aces scored twice in the first period and cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Bakersfield Condors in front of 3,929 at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. Andrew Ianiero scored the lone goal for the Condors, who saw a three-game point streak snapped with the loss. 
Alaska (11-8-1, 23 points) lit the lamp first in the game, with Barrett Heisten notching his fifth of the season at 6:09 in the first. Just under five minutes later, the Aces extended the lead. Peter Metcalf recorded his first of the campaign at 11:03, coming in from the blueline and snapping a wrister past Condors goalie Jaime Hodson. Alaska held a 13-5 lead in shots, and a 2-0 lead in goals, after one. 
Bakersfield (5-11-5, 15 points) got on the board in the opening minute of the second period. Andrew Ianiero finished off a series of passes from Todd Griffith and Evan Kotsopoulos to pull the Condors within a goal 50 seconds in. The Aces answered, however, and were bolstered in the period by a 16-8 shot advantage. At 3:46 of the frame, Joey Hope blasted home his first of the season to regain the two-goal lead for the home team, 3-1. 
At 7:26 of the third period, the Aces put the game out of reach. The 13th goal of the season for Josh Soares made it a three-goal advantage for Alaska, providing the final margin. Hodson finished the game with 32 saves, as Alaska outshot the Condors 36-18 in the contest. 
The Condors face off against the Aces on Friday and Saturday as well, both 8:15 p.m. (PT) starts. They return home to host the Fresno Falcons on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 7 pm. That night is the ABC23 and R&D Leather Furniture Toy Drive Night - fans can bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game and get in for just $1. For ticket information contact the Condors office at 324-PUCK (7825) or log on to www.bakersfieldcondors.com. 
Notes: RW Jesse Bennefield, acquired from Stockton via trade on Monday, is scheduled to meet the Condors in Anchorage for this weekend's games. 
Vote for Your Favorite Logo: Don't miss your chance to show the rest of the world how great you think the Condors logo is by voting in the hockey logo tournament currently taking place. The Condors are currently pitted against the South Carolina Stingrays in the first round of the ECHL logo tournament. Voting for this round will last through Thursday, so, click here and vote now! 
Upcoming: If you can't catch the game on KGEO AM1230 or B2 Networks, you can still stay up to date with the team by signing up for Condors text message score alerts, brought to you by the Condors and Bakersfield.com. Alerts will be sent to your phone with scoring updates at the end of each period and every game to keep you in the loop. 
To sign up, just text the word "condors" to 47645, or click here. You can also sign up at www.bakersfieldcondors.com. The mobile alerts are free, though standard text messaging fees from your cell phone service provider may apply. 
To view the full 2007-08 schedule, click here. For more information or to reserve season tickets, mini- plans and book group outings contact the Condors office at 324-PUCK (7825) or check out www.bakersfieldcondors.com!


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Arsenal Upend Flash 99-91*

Anaheim, Calif., December 5, 2007 - For the second consecutive game the Utah Flash and the Anaheim Arsenal faced off in Anaheim but this time the results were different with the Arsenal coming away victorious. On Wednesday night, the Utah Flash were beaten by the Anaheim Arsenal 99-91 at the Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center. 
Anaheim forward Steven Smith stole the show pushing the Arsenal to victory with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals on 9 for 18 shooting from the field. Arsenal forward Kedrick Brown, #9 overall draft pick in the 2007 D-League Draft, also helped out with 20 points and 3 assists. First year player in the NBA Development League, Marquis Webb, started his third game in a row and scored 12 points.

"This was a good, solid win for us. We did the things we talked about and put in a good defensive effort. It's a good win to build upon." Arsenal head coach Reggie Geary said after the game.

The game's high scorer, Steven Smith, said, "This was a great win for us. We hope to take this momentum into Saturday and Sunday's game against the Jam."

Flash center James Lang led the Flash charge on Monday with 17 points and 8 rebounds. On Wednesday the winning team was different, but Jason Lang put on another great performance with 23 pts and 8 rebounds. Flash guard Gabe Pruitt also put in 21 points and had 2 steals. Utah forward Brian Jackson also helped out with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Utah Flash Coach Brad Jones said, "Anaheim made some great plays tonight. We have to give them credit. It was a wonderful game for both teams but Anaheim made the plays we couldn't."

"We played hard tonight but in the end it didn't work out for us. Anaheim made some big plays in the game to get the win. We are looking forward to the game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Friday." Said Flash center James Lang after the game.

The Anaheim Arsenal play the Bakersfield Jam on Sunday at 3:00PM PST at the Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center. For ticket information please call (714)635-BALL. For all Arsenal and D-League news make sure to click on anaheimarsenal.com

In 2006-07 there were 62 former D-League players on end-of-season NBA rosters accounting for approximately 15 percent of the entire league. Also 17 D-League alumni started at least one game last season, including Kelenna Azubuike of the Golden State Warriors, Matt Carroll of the Charlotte Bobcats, Mikki Moore who's currently with the Sacramento Kings, Gerald Green who won the 2007 Sprite Slam Dunk, Martell Webster of the Portland Trail Blazers and Rafer Alston, a starter in every one of the Rockets' games during the 06-07 season. Azubuike, in particular, has continued his stellar play this year scoring 33 points in Golden State's second game of the 2007-08 season. In addition to consistent starters the D-League has produced a number of strong rotation players who sometimes start, but always contribute to their team's success. Those players include Houston's Chuck Hayes, Amir Johnson of the Pistons and Smush Parker of the Miami Heat.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Houston Assigns Aaron Brooks to Rio Grande Valley Vipers*

NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2007 - The Houston Rockets today assigned rookie guard Aaron Brooks to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Brooks is the 15th NBA player assigned to a D-League affiliate this season and the second the Rockets have assigned to the Vipers. A first round selection (26th overall) in the 2007 NBA Draft, Brooks has appeared in two games for the Rockets this season, scoring five points in four minutes. The 6-0, 161-pound, Seattle native averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 assists over five games with Houston in the 2007 NBA Summer League, where he earned T-Mobile Rookie of the Month honors and was named to the 2007 Summer League All-Star Team. In preseason action with the Rockets, Brooks averaged 5.0 points, 1.8 assists, 1.2 rebounds and 14.43 minutes. 
Brooks finished his college career at Oregon as the Ducks' ninth all-time leading scorer with 1,511 points while ranking fourth in assists (471) and three-point field goals made (205), fifth in free throw percentage (.834) and sixth in steals (127). Brooks averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds during his 115-game collegiate career at Oregon. A decorated athlete, Brooks earned Second Team All-America honors from The Sporting News, Third Team honors from the Associated Press and All-Pac-10 honors during his senior season. 
Brooks joins a Vipers team that owns a 5-1 (.833) record and features Rockets teammate Steve Novak. 
The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 14 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 16 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives of the NBA and its teams provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Jam Look To Get Energized In Iowa*

The Bakersfield Jam, members of the NBA Development League, continue their extremely difficult stretch of six of their first seven games on the road tonight against the Iowa Energy. 
The Jam look to pick up their second win of the season, while Iowa hopes to snap a three-game losing streak. With a few games under their belt, the Jam's dynamic backcourt duo of Andre Barrett and Scooter McFadgon should be more in synch and Roderick Riley hopes to build upon his impressive performance on Tuesday versus Fort Wayne despite recovering from an injury.

The Jam return to Rabobank Arena on Saturday for just their second home game of the season versus the Anaheim Arsenal. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. for the organization's first Faith & Family game of the year sponsored by Greater Harvest Christian Center and KAXL. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a 2007-08 Magnet Schedule.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 14 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 16 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives of the NBA and its teams, provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Mad Ants Announce Pistons' Night in Fort Wayne*

To celebrate Fort Wayne's long relationship with the Detroit Pistons, the Mad Ants are announcing Pistons' Night in Fort Wayne, as the Mad Ants face the Dakota Wizards on Thursday, December 13, at 7:00p.m. For those unable to make it to Detroit, fans will be able to enjoy almost everything they could see at a Pistons game in Detroit - players wearing the Pistons' jerseys, the "Automotion" dance team, the Acro-Dunk Squad, the "Palace Patrol", Hooper the Mascot, and plenty of Pistons' and Mad Ants' giveaways. Beyond the great entertainment, fans will get to see some of the best young basketball talent in the world fighting it out for supremacy in the hotly-contested Central Division. 
To further commemorate this special evening, the Mad Ants are excited to offer fans wearing either Pistons' or Mad Ants' gear half off their admission to the game. 
The Mad Ants will also be putting their three game winning streak on the line this Sunday, December 9, against their Central Division rival, the Iowa Energy. The Ants are led by reigning D-League Performer of the Week Jeremy Richardson, who is averaging 28.4 points and 7 rebounds per game. Former IU standouts Rod Wilmont and Earl Calloway are making big impacts as rookies, averaging 17.8 and 15.6 points per game respectively. Iowa features Chicago Bulls assignee JamesOn Curry, who contributes 22.5 points per game for the Energy. 
For tickets to this Sunday's game or to Pistons' Night in Fort Wayne on Thursday, December 13, please contact the Mad Ants offices' at (260) 469-4667 or the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum box office at (260) 483-1111.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*Jazz Assigns Almond and Fesenko to D-League's Utah Flash*

PROVO, Utah, Dec. 6, 2007 - Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the team has assigned rookie guard Morris Almond and rookie center Kyrylo Fesenko to the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League. 
Almond, a 6-6, 225-pound guard out of Rice has appeared in three games for the Jazz, playing a total of 12 scoreless minutes. He has spent 14 games on the inactive list. Almond was selected by the Jazz in the first round (25th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft. 
Almond and Fesenko join forward Brandon Wallace and guard Gabe Pruitt, both currently on assignment from the Boston Celtics, on the Flash roster.

"As a coach and for our organization I'm obviously excited to have four NBA guys on our roster," Flash head coach Brad Jones said. "This is a good accolade and tribute to what Freddy (Flash GM David Fredman) and (owner) Brandt (Andersen) are doing that NBA teams feel comfortable enough to send players our way. The challenge for the coach is I have to get these guys to mesh together, play as a team and get better every day."

Fesenko, a 7-1, 288-pound center was previously assigned to the Flash on November 10 before being recalled on November 30. He appeared in four games (all starts) for the Flash, averaging 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.25 blocks while shooting .611 from the floor. The 20-year-old native of the Ukraine has appeared in one game for the Jazz, scoring six points and grabbing seven rebounds in 17 minutes in a 120-96 Jazz win over the Los Angeles Lakers the night he was recalled. Originally selected by Philadelphia with in the second round (38th overall selection) of the 2007 NBA Draft, the Jazz acquired Fesenko's rights in a draft night deal that sent the draft rights to Herbert Hill (55th overall pick) and trade considerations to the 76ers. 

Almond becomes the third Jazz player ever assigned to the D-League, joining Fesenko and guard C.J. Miles who was assigned to the D-League each of the previous two seasons by the Jazz. Miles appeared in a combined 19 games for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (2005-06) and Idaho Stampede (2006-07). 

The Flash opens a six-game homestand Friday when the Los Angeles D-Fenders visit the McKay Events Center in Orem. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT. Tickets are available by contacting 801-434-HOOP.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*D-Fenders Reacquire Brian Morrison*

EL SEGUNDO, CA - The Los Angeles D-Fenders have reacquired Brian Morrison, who was waived due to injury on November 22nd. 
Morrison, a 6-2 guard, was selected by the D-Fenders from their local player tryout and participated in L.A.'s training camp prior to suffering an injury. Morrison played at the University of North Carolina before transferring to UCLA where he played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. During his senior season as a Bruin, Morrison averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 22.0 minutes in 29 games. 

Morrison fills the vacant spot on the D-Fenders roster due to Jelani McCoy's GATORADE Call-Up to the Denver Nuggets. 

The D-Fenders will host the Bakersfield Jam on Thursday, December 13th at STAPLES Center with a 3:30pm tip-off. Having a Lakers ticket for a STAPLES Center home game is also your ticket to a lower level seat for the D-Fenders game that same day. For ticket information call (310) 426-6031.


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## truebluefan (May 27, 2002)

*NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad Spotlights D-Fenders*

EL SEGUNDO, CA - Los Angeles D-Fenders guard Coby Karl will be among those featured on NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad on Sunday, Dec. 9 on ABC at 12:30 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Hosted by Emmy Award-winner Ahmad Rashad this real life drama series will focus on Coby and his father, Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl, who recently caught up to speak about basketball, their fight against cancer and other topics prior to Coby's debut with the D-Fenders. 
In addition, the show will spotlight two other D-Fenders: Forrest Fisher, who looked to earn a spot on the team after an impressive performance at the Miller Lite D-League Challenge pre-draft training camp, and Brian Chase, an undersized guard who hopes to take the final step towards NBA glory.

The other feature will revolve around the incredible journey of Kelenna Azubuike, who worked hard to refine his skills in the D-League and is now starring with the Golden State Warriors. 

The D-Fenders will host the Bakersfield Jam on Thursday, Dec. 13 at STAPLES Center with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off. Having a Lakers ticket for a STAPLES Center home game is also your ticket to a lower level seat for the D-Fenders game that same day. For ticket information call (310) 426-6031.


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