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Denied in debut

New Jam coach loses heartbreaker in first game

BY STEVE LYNCH | Friday, Jan 11 2008 11:30 PM

Last Updated: Friday, Jan 11 2008 11:34 PM

Special to The Californian

Scott Roth paced the sideline shouting directions to his team.

"Get back" he screamed while waving his arms frantically after a change of possession early in Friday night's NBA D-League game at Rabobank Arena. "Let's go, let's play some defense" Roth barked later.

Making his debut as the head coach of the Jam, Roth was in his new team's ear the entire night. And his hands-on approach seemed to get immediate results as the Jam rallied from a 16-point second-quarter deficit only to lose 103-102 to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, when Scooter McFadgon's last-second shot was ruled a two instead of a 3-pointer.

Trailing 103-100 with 14.6 seconds left, the Jam (3-19) worked the ball over to James Peters. The 6-foot-8 forward had a good look at the basket from the top of the key, but missed what would have been a game-tying 3.

The ball found its way back to McFadgon standing on the left wing near the 3-point line. McFadgon's shot went in the basket just as the buzzer sounded, but officials ruled his foot was on the line.

"Well, like I told them, I'm very proud of them," Roth said. "I think they played as hard as they possibly could with them practicing twice a day (Thursday). Practicing very hard this morning then coming back and giving an effort like that in front of this crowd. I hope the fans appreciate how hard they played. I'm proud of these guys, but I'm not satisfied."

Roth, a former NBA player known for his hard-nosed style of play, never sat down or stopped barking instructions the entire game.

"If I'm sitting down, I have a physical ailment, Roth said. "I'm all about being in there with them. I feel like I'm in the trenches with them. I think that makes the player believe that I'm with them. My personality is more of an aggressive kind of staunch in your face a little bit at times. I want them to succeed. I want to battle with them. I'm up working and I want them to work."

A raucous crowd of 5,378 cheered as the Jam rallied to tie the game at 96 on Andre Barret's two free throws with 2:52 left in the game.

Barrett, who finished with a game-high 27 points and eight assists, was asked after the game to compare Roth to predecessor.

"They have two different coaching styles ... I think coach Harrick put the responsibility on the players a lot more," Barrett said. "He allowed the players to make decisions on their own. I think coach Roth demands a lot more as a coach."