Utah Flash end 5-game losing skid

OREM — The week that was:

A very difficult week for the Utah Flash ended on a high note, as they defeated the Bakersfield Jam 102-99 on the road on Sunday.

On assignment from the Utah Jazz, center Kyrylo Fesenko led the way with a double-double of 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on 9-12 shooting.

Fesenko and fellow Jazz-assignee guard Morris Almond each scored 11 points in the final 12 minutes to help the Flash overcome a seven-point deficit after three quarters.

"I don't know if I'm more excited or more relieved that we were able to pull it out," Flash coach Brad Jones said. "I guess both because we had a really tough week. We were down, and for the first time in a long time, we had a veteran-type approach. We chipped away. We didn't panic. We made plays down the stretch."

The win snapped Utah's five-game losing streak, which came entirely at the hands of the Idaho Stampede and Los Angeles D-Fenders, the two best teams in the NBA Development League.

After two road losses to Idaho the previous weekend, the Flash traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday, where they dropped a 96-87 decision to the D-Fenders.

Utah then returned home for a pair of games against Idaho. Both games were close, but the Stampede pulled out a pair of victories, 100-99 and 93-88.

Thursday's loss was particularly tough, as Idaho forward Cory Violette tipped in a third attempt with 1.9 seconds left in the game to give Idaho the win.

"I think it was frustrating because we match up well with those teams, and talent-wise, we might even have a little more," Flash General Manager David Fredman said. "But the youth of our team has been a factor. Our guys have to mature a little to compete with veteran players."

Utah's record now stands 19-22, 4.5 games behind the 23-17 Colorado 14ers for the sixth and final playoff spot.

UPCOMING ACTION: The Flash have a pair of games this weekend. First up is a home game against Colorado on Friday at 7 p.m. at the McKay Center at the campus of UVSC in Orem.

Utah will then get on a plane and travel to Bakersfield for a game the next night at 9 p.m. MDT. Fredman pointed out that this is particularly tough because the team has to fly into Los Angeles and then take a two-hour bus ride to Bakersfield.

However, Jones said that the team should be used to this because they just won a game in Bakersfield after playing at home the night before, and that one was even more difficult because it was played at 5 p.m.