Jam spoils Crush debut

The Orange County Crush, an American Basketball Association expansion

franchise, lost its inaugural game, 134-122, to the Long Beach Jam

Sunday at the Pyramid at Long Beach State.

The Jam, the defending ABA champions, had four players score at

least 20 points to get the best of their former coach, Earl Cureton,

who is now guiding the Crush.

Derrick Dial, a 6-foot-4 guard who has played 82 NBA games with

four teams, led the Crush with 31 points, including five

three-pointers. He also had a team-high 10 rebounds.

Former USC Trojan Jerry Dupree added 23 points for the Crush, who

received 11 points and 15 assists from Cordell Henry, a 5-10 guard

out of Marquette.

Eric Chenowith, a former Kansas Jayhawk out of Villa Park High,

added 16 points and former Jam standout Juaquin Hawkins scored 14 for

the Crush.

Dennis Rodman, signed last week, did not play for the Crush.

The Crush, who may begin playing home games at the Orange County

Fairgrounds in January, are scheduled to play Thursday and Friday at

Las Vegas.