Tone Reddic's 51 Point Day Leads Yellow Jackets to Victory

The Steel City Yellow Jackets picked up their fifth consecutive win on Saturday when they defeated the Roc City Ravens 142-122. Tone Reddic provided a terrific offensive display putting up a season high 51 points in the contest to help lead the team to victory.

Pittsburgh's only professional basketball team, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, continue to fly high in the early part of the season as they collected their fifth straight win on Saturday. It was another high scoring offensive display in which the Yellow Jackets were able to top the Roc City Ravens 142-122 to move to 6-1 on the season. After a slow offensive start, the Yellow Jackets would be able to find their footing and hold on for the victory.

Roc City was able to hold the lead for much of the first quarter jumping out to a 17-12 lead as they approached the second media timeout. However, Steel City would find their groove as Tyrone Brinson hit four free throws and Gil Cummings hit a three pointer to get out to a 28-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. Tone Reddic would turn it on in the second quarter putting up 18 points to extend Steel City's lead heading into halftime to 64-51.

Tone Reddic's day was just getting started as he would continue to pour it on in the second half. He put up 14 points in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth quarter to complete his day. Claude Scott helped out in the third quarter with eight points and Jason Arrington made the most of his 3D opportunities converting on two of them and putting up 14 second half points to seal the deal for Steel City. The 142 points is their third highest offensive output of the season as they continue to show their quick strike ability and their ability to run away with a ball game.

Tone Reddic's 51 point effort is the new season high for any Steel City Player in a single game. It is the second highest total for Reddic's career as he had a 60-point game a year ago. Reddic has been one of the captains of this team since day one and says that he loves the fact that the organization continues to grow year in and year out and they improve every single season.

Reddic was one of five Steel City Yellow Jackets to finish in double digits on the day as Jason Arrington had a new career high day with 25 points and Claude Scott's career best 16 points rounded out the top three. Steel City scored over 140 points for the third time already this season and are a perfect 3-0 when accomplishing that feat. They continue their great play at home as well as they improve to 5-1 at A Giving Heart Community Center.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were the #11 ranked team in the country coming into this week of action and are looking to possibly crack the top 10 for the first time this season. If they get into the top 10 it would be the highest they have been ranked over the last two seasons. The offense has definitely been there for Steel City this year and they are getting better defensively every single game.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets will have a week to relax ahead of their next contest which will be on the road on Saturday December 16th when they battle NEPA Stars and Stripes. It will be just their second road game of the season where they will try to improve to 2-0. Their next home game comes on Saturday December 23rd when they face the Akron Aviators at 7 p.m. Things are just starting to heat up in the American Basketball Association so be sure to come on out and Catch the Buzz.

Steel City Scores Season High 153 Points in Win

The Steel City Yellow Jackets saw their highest offensive output of the season on Saturday when they defeated Team Network 154-115. Khari Bess and Gil Cummings led the way each scoring over 25 points to give Steel City their fifth win of the season as they try to move up the power rankings.

Pittsburgh's only professional basketball team the Steel City Yellow Jackets were back in action on Saturday looking for their fourth straight win as they took on Team Network. They saw their highest offensive production of the season as they put up 154 points on their way to a 154-115 win improving to 5-1 on the season.

Steel City dominated this contest throughout getting the upper hand early and never looking back. It was Khari Bess who sparked the offensive attack as he regularly drove to the hoop and converted 12 first quarter points as part of a 34 point offensive attack to give Steel City an early 34-27 lead. Team Network tried to fight back in the second quarter cutting Steel City's lead to five. However, Steel City would come on late in the quarter putting up 38 points to have a comfortable 72-57 lead. 

The second half of the game would see the emergence of Gil Cummings as he found his shot from beyond the arc. He hit three three-pointers in the first half but came out and hit five in the second half including three in the third quarter alone. First year Yellow Jacket Tyrone Brinson came up with seven third quarter points making the most of his long passes down the court. In total, Steel City would put up 44 in the quarter and had a commanding lead going into the final quarter of play. Gil Cummings would once again help seal the deal in this one hitting two free throws and two three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

There were many players who had break out games in the best offensive day for the Yellow Jackets to this point. Gil Cummings led the way with 30 points on the night including a team high eight three-point shots. Khari Bess followed him with his best game in his two years as a Yellow Jacket as he put up 26 points in the victory. Claude Scott, Mike Dixon, and Matt Sutton also set season highs in points scoring 18, 14, and 13 points respectively.

Khari Bess would also shine on the defensive side of the ball collecting several steals throughout the course of the night and turning those into points. Defense has been one of the focuses for this team over the course of the season and Bess stepped up today and provided solid defense throughout the course of the game.

Steel City is off to a hot start so far in the 2017/2018 season as they now sit at 5-1 through their first six games with their only loss coming to the DMV Warriors earlier this season. So far, they are 4-1 on their home court and have played some of their best basketball at home not only this season, but last season as well.

They will return to their home court on Saturday December 9th as they look for their fifth straight win when they get set to take on the Rochester Ravens at 7 p.m. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students, so come on out and catch the buzz. 

Steel City Topples Akron 123-114 to Continue Hot Start

The Steel City Yellow Jackets continued their hot start to the 2017/18 season winning their third straight game by defeating Akron 123-114. It was a close contest throughout, but some key contributions from the bench allowed Steel City to seal the victory.

Pittsburgh's only professional basketball team, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, continued their hot start to the season as they won their third straight game defeating the Akron Aviators 123-114. The game had some ups and downs but, in the end, they were able to survive thanks to some key contributors off of the bench.

It was a slow start offensively for Steel City on the day as they did not have their shot early on. However, Gerald Brooks would provide the spark they needed to get going as he put up nine first quarter points and continues to play big under the net. Brooks has really helped to fill the shoes of last year's big man Lawrence Baker and has gotten the job done in the rebound department turning many of those rebounds into points.

Akron would be up by three after the first quarter of play, but the Yellow Jackets offense would come alive thanks to some key contributors off the bench. Isaiah Prince had his shot going in the second quarter putting up 15 points including two big 3D opportunities converted. Jason Arrington also played a big role as he was able to put up 11 points off the bench including a big three point shot. These two were able to step up and spark this offense as the starters were getting warmed up.

Thanks to the performance of Arrington and Prince, Steel City was able to go into halftime with the lead sitting at 64-58 as they looked to continue their second quarter momentum into the second half. Coach Ace Pippens was trying to get his defense to step up and allow his offense to take over the game as we have seen so many times this season.

However, Akron was the one that came out firing in the third quarter as they would go on a 10-4 run to tie the game at 68. The lead would change several times throughout the second half as the teams battled for supremacy. It wasnt until late in the fourth quarter when Steel City was able to run away with the game.

Tone Reddic put up eight points late in the game including two key free throws and Jason Arrington sealed the deal with the final two free throws with under two minute to go toofficially put the game out of reach. With the win, Steel City has now won three straight games to start the season and are now 4-1 on the year.

Isaiah Prince lead his team in points with 24 coming off the bench on Wednesday. He was one of three Yellow Jackets to finish with 20 or more points as Jason Arrington finished with 22 and Tone Reddic collected 21 points on the day. The win showed that Steel City has the depth to win even if their starters arent at there best. Gil Cummings was having trouble finding his shot early on not getting on the board until the third quarter. He eventually ended the day with 12 points making four three pointers on the day, but his teammates were able to pick him up and put points on the board.

Steel City has a quick turnaround as they are right back at home this Saturday when they take on Team Network at 7 p.m. Come on out for a night of exciting basketball as tickets are 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for kids. It's another exciting season of ABA basketball, so come on out and Catch the Buzz.

Steel City Celebrates NorthSide with Rivalry Against Baltimore

The Steel City Yellow Jackets look to get back in the win column after falling to DMV last time out 122-115. They will celebrate Northside day in their third game of the season as they look to go back over .500 when they battle their rivals the Baltimore Hawks at 7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh, Pa.'s only professional basketball team, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, are back in action this Saturday when they battle their rivals the Baltimore Hawks at 7:30 p.m. Steel City is looking to get back in the win column after falling to the DMV Warriors last time out 122-115 and are also trying to get back over the .500 mark sitting at 1-1.

Steel City fell down early in the game against DMV and, although they tried to make a late comeback in the end, it wasnt enough to top the number eight team in the country. The DMV Warriors jumped out to a big lead and took it all the way to half time. However, it was the Steel City Yellow Jackets offense that shined in the second half and they cut the deficit to 14 with one quarter to play. However, the deficit was just too much for Steel City to overcome as they fell 122-115.

With last weeks loss, the Steel City Yellow Jackets dropped out of the Top 25 for this week's ABA Power Rankings, but are still on the Teams to Watch list. Tone Reddic and Gil Cummings each had great showings in the season opener against the West Virginia Warlocks two weeks ago as they both went over 20 points in the contest. Some of the newest Steel City Yellow Jackets also made their marks as Gerald Brooks and Tyrone Brinson each made an impact in the second half of that game.

The thing that Coach Ace and his team will look to be better at against Baltimore is their defensive play. So far this season through the first two games, Steel City has allowed 120.5 PPG this season. Coach Ace always says he wants his team to keep the opposition under 100 and that is a goal they accomplished several times last season. The offense has been rolling in 2017/18 scoring 132 PPG, so if the defense can start coming through more often this could be a very dangerous team.

Things don't get much easier for Steel City this week as the Baltimore Hawks come into the week as the number five ranked team in the country. They are off to a 3-1 start to the season coming off of a 132-117 win over the New Jersey Express last Saturday. Baltimore has had the offense working for them lately as well scoring over 130 points in each of their last two games. On the season, they are scoring 127.7 PPG while allowing just 100.3 PPG.

It will be a special night for the Steel City Yellow Jackets as they will be celebrating Northside Night when doors open at 6:30 p.m. prior to the 7:30 p.m. start. Local rapper Asco100K will be performing and the music will be provided by DJ Stevie B. Get your tickets today at www.steelcityyellowjackets.com at 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for kids. The 2017/18 season is underway and its time to come out and Catch the Buzz.

Yellow Jackets Battle With #8 Team in the Country

Coming off of an impressive offensive display in their 149-118 win over the West Virginia Warlocks in the season opener last week, the Steel City Yellow Jackets look to make it two in a row when they face the #8 ranked DMV Warriors on Saturday. 

The Steel City Yellow Jackets had an impressive win in the season opener last week as they showed just what their offense was capable of in the season opening 149-118 win over the West Virginia Warlocks. However, they are going to need to have that same offensive presence on Saturday as they have a big match up against the number eight ranked team in the country when they take on the DMV Warriors at 7 p.m.

The offense was on full display last week as three Steel City Yellow Jackets finished with 20 points or more including Gil Cummings, who lead the offense with 25 points, Tone Reddic (24) and Gerald Brooks (23). Steel City got contributions from everyone in that contest as all but three members of the active roster got on the scoreboard in the win.

The co-captains of the 2017/18 Yellow Jackets were impressive as always as Gil Cummings and Tone Reddic each put up big points in this match. Cummings was on fire from beyond the arc hitting a team leading seven three-pointers, including a 3D four-point shot that helped give Steel City a comfortable lead in the second quarter. Tone Reddic was consistent as always getting up over 20 points mostly by driving to the net and finishing his shots. He did not play for most of the fourth quarter and still ended up with 24 points in the game.

However, it wasn't just the returners who found success, but the newcomers to the 2017/18 team were able to put on an impressive performance as well. Gerald Brooks put up 23 points following a big second half in which he put up 16 points. Brook's biggest quarter of the day came in the third quarter when he scored 10 of his 23 points and helped the Yellow Jackets pull away for good. Tyrone Brinson also had a strong showing putting up 15 points in his Yellow Jackets debut. Brinson came on in the fourth quarter as he put up eight of those 15 points to help seal the victory.

Now, the Yellow Jackets look ahead to tonight's contest with a tough game against the #8 team in the country. Last Season, this one was a nail bitter coming down to literally the final second of the ball game. DMV had the ball with :01 second to go and hit a long three pointer that gave them a 129-127 victory over Steel City. This season, the Yellow Jackets are looking to get some payback on DMV and are trying to start out with back-to-back wins.

Tonight's game starts at 7 p.m. and will be played at the new home for the Steel City Yellow Jackets, A Giving Heart Community Center located at 816 Climax Street, Pittsburgh, PA. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are just ten dollars for adults and five dollars for children. Come on out and see all the exciting action as you begin to Catch the Buzz!

Steel City Offense Impresses in first Win of the Year

The Steel City Yellow Jackets put up impressive offensive numbers in their first win of the 2017/18 season when they beat the West Virginia Warlocks 146-118. Gil Cummings led the team scoring 24 points on the day as three Yellow Jackets each finished with 20 or more points on the night.

Pittsburgh's only professional basketball team, the Steel City Yellow Jackets, were back in action for their fourth season of play as they kicked off the 2017/18 season with a battle against the West Virginia Warlocks. The offense put up big numbers putting 148 points in the board in the teams 148-118 victory.

It was a little bit of a sloppy start for the Yellow Jackets, but as the game went on they got more crisp and found their grove. Co-Captains Tone Reddic and Gil Cummings lead the offensive charge in the first half as Steel City grooved to a 78-58 lead. Cummings was on fire from beyond the arc hitting four in the first quarter and following that up with a four pointer and another three in the second quarter. Reddic found his groove in the second quarter when he put up eight points to help pull Steel City out in front.

Cummings would be the team leader in points coming out of half-time with 19 and Tone Reddic was right behind him with 13. Isaiah Prince rounded out the top three with 12 points in the first half as the returners to this season's team were leading the way. For the Warlocks, Adrian Summerfield would lead the way with 20 first half points followed by Markos McGowan, 12 points, and Julian Thompson, 10 points.

Even though the Yellow Jackets had a big half-time lead, they would have to keep their foot on the gas to try and put the Warlocks away. They would come out and get the score back within just eight points on the back of Julian Thompson. Then Tone Reddic once again found his groove hitting eight points in that third quarter

In the fourth quarter the Yellow Jackets would get some big contributions from some of the newcomers to the 2017/18 team. Gerald Brooks who played a great second half under the net, was able to put up 10 points in the third quarter and collected a lot of rebounds. He was able to turn those rebounds into points which was a key factor for the Yellow Jackets being able to pull away.

Brooks was back at it again in the fourth quarter putting up six points and Tyrone Brinson put up eight points to secure the victory for the Yellow Jackets. The second half proved that this team has nice depth and can step up when one of their main stars has to go out of the game. Having that depth on the bench bodes well for Steel City as they move on in the season.

Gil Cummings would finish the game with the team lead in points scoring 24 on the night. He was followed by Gerald Brooks, who scored 23 points in his Steel City Yellow Jackets debut, and Tone Reddic, who finished with 21 points the 146 points scored by the Yellow Jackets is more then they scored at any point last season and shows the capabilities of this team on the offensive side of the ball.

Player of the Game: Gil Cummings

Today's Steel City Yellow Jackets player of the game is Co-Captain Gil Cummings. He finished the day with a team leading 24 points in the victory. Cummings was hot from beyond the arc hitting a team high six three-pointers and one four-pointer in the game. Cummings has been with the team since their first season four years ago and has seen this team grow throughout the years. Cumming's goal for this year is to bring the coveted ABA Championship back to Pittsburgh.

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets have a big match-up next week against the number eight ranked team in the country against the DMV Warriors. It was originally scheduled as an away game but has since been switched to a home contest at A Giving Heart located at 816 Climax Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. Come on out for the exciting fourth season of Steel City Yellow Jackets basketball and Catch the Buzz.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Open Fourth Season of Play With Battle Against Warlokcs

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are back for their fourth season of play in 2017/18 as they open things up with a battle against the West Virginia Warlocks tonight at 7 p.m. Many of the stars from last year's team are returning this season including veterans Tone Reddic and Gilmore Cummings as they look to make a fourth straight playoff run.

Professional basketball returns to the city of Pittsburgh for the fourth consecutive season as the Steel City Yellow Jackets of the American Basketball Association are back for their fourth season in 2017/18. The first three years has seen a lot of success as they have made the ABA playoffs in each of their first three seasons of competition.

Last season, they finished the regular season 15-8 and made it to the second round of the ABA playoffs where they fell to the West Michigan Lake Hawks. It was a great year for Steel City especially on the home front as they lost just four contests all season on their home court throughout the regular and post season. It was a great offensive season for Steel City as well as they regularly were scoring in the 100 point range throughout the season.

There were also some great individual performances in the 2016/17 season as the captains of the Steel City Yellow Jackets were able to shine on the court. Tone Reddic, who is in his fourth season with the team, led Steel City in scoring last season and was regularly scoring in the 40's. His best performance came in a 63 point performance last January as he led the Yellow Jackets to victory. For his effort, Reddic was named one of two Steel City Yellow Jacket ABA all-star representatives last season. Reddic and former Yellow Jacket Lawrence Baker represented the Steel City Yellow Jackets at last season's ABA all-star game.

The 2017/18 season brings a lot of new and exciting changes to the Steel City Yellow Jackets. The biggest change is the brand new facility located at 816 Climax Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. It will be the new permanent home of the Steel City Yellow Jackets as they look to continue their dominance on their home court. Also new this season, are some exciting new players on the court who are looking to contribute to this season's team and lead them back to the ABA playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2017/18 season gets kicked off tonight at 7 p.m. as the Yellow Jackets do battle with ABA foe the West Virginia Warlocks. The Warlocks were formerly known as the West Virginia Wild Cats and played Steel City twice last season, losing both of those contests.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets enter the season as the 23rd ranked team in all of the ABA and are looking to continue to improve on that ranking as the season goes on. Last season, Steel City would get as high as the number 15 ranked team in the country and are looking to try and reach that top spot this season.

Tip-off for tonight's contest against the West Virginia Warlocks is scheduled for 7 p.m. The doors will open to fans at 6 p.m. with tickets costing $10 for adults and $5 for children. Come on out and catch the new season of Steel City Yellow Jackets basketball and Catch the Buzz.

Coach Ace Leads Yellow Jackets to Playoffs For Third Straight Season

After finishing the season with a record of 14-8, the Steel City Yellow Jackets are back in the American Basketball Association playoffs for the third year in a row. They finished with a home record of 10-3 and a record of 4-5 on the road capping off the 2016/2017 regular season.

Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champions. Whether it be the Pittsburgh Steelers with their NFL record six Super Bowl Championships, The Pittsburgh Pirates five World Series Championships, or the Pittsburgh Penguins capturing five Stanley Cup Championships including two in the past ten years. Winning has been a way of life in the Pittsburgh sports scene and fans expect nothing less from the teams they support.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets, Pittsburgh's Professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association, look to keep this standard of winning going as they make the trip to the 2016/2017 American Basketball Association playoffs this weekend. This is not their first rodeo in the playoff scene as they have made the playoffs in each of their first two years of existence as well under head coach Averill Pippens.

Last season, their playoff run took them to the windy city of Chicago, Illinois for the first round of the 2015/2016 playoffs. Unfortunately, that playoff run was cut short as they would fall to the Windy City Groove by the final score of 112-91. The Yellow Jackets have four players returning from last year's loss and they are more determined then ever to make a run at the elusive ABA Championship.

The road will not be easy, with the top seed being occupied by the undefeated DMV Warriors, who the Yellow Jackets played tight all season long. However, the goal from the beginning of the season has been to win a championship for the city of Pittsburgh. Coach Ace has preached this to the team all season long, and now he looks to put that preaching into action in the 2017 playoffs.

The Yellow Jackets were supposed to play a home game in the first round of the playoffs where they would have faced off against Team Network at the Neighborhood Academy. However, that game got cancelled and as a result the Yellow Jackets automatically advanced to the second round where they will travel to Muskegon, Michigan to take on the West Michigan Lake Hawks, a team they battled once already in the regular season.

In their only matchup of the regular season in Muskegon, Michigan the Yellow Jackets came out on top picking up a 107-101 victory. Antonio Reddic would lead the Yellow Jackets with 32 points on that night and was helped out by a fast start from the team. The road was not a kind place to the Yellow Jackets early in the season, but after that game against West Michigan, things started to click and the Jackets got better and better with each coming weekend.

The Yellow Jackets home record speaks for itself as they ended with a record of 10-3 at the Neighborhood Academy. That being said, the Yellow Jackets would have loved the opportunity to play at home in the playoffs, but they are excited for the opportunity to participate in the tournament for the third straight season.

The Yellow Jackets finished the 2016/2017 regular season in the top 20 of the American Basketball Association power rankings with their 14-8 record. They were helped out by a comeback victory over the number 18 ranked Fredericksburg Grizzlies 128-126 in overtime. It was the game that defined the season for the Yellow Jackets as they never gave up and picked up the much needed victory.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are looking to keep up the winning tradition that is the standard in the Pittsburgh area. Coach Ace is excited to lead his team to the playoffs for the third straight year. He wants to help bring this city together through basketball and hopefully bring the city another championship to add to its trophy case. You can follow the Yellow Jackets playoff run live on Facebook and be sure to catch all of the recaps right here. Be sure to support and Catch the Buzz.

Johnathan Logan Follows Passion to the ABA

Johnathan Logan has known the sport of basketball his whole life. Ever since he was three years old, he always had a basketball in his hand. Today, Logan has made basketball part of his lifestyle and has followed that passion all the way to the professional level as part of the Steel City Yellow Jackets

Having a passion for something means devoting as much time as you can to that one thing in order to make yourself as successful as you can possibly be. However, turning that passion into a lifestyle takes time and dedication. You have to eat, sleep, dream, and live your passion weaving it into every single part of your life.

For Steel City Yellow Jacket Johnathan Logan, basketball has gone beyond a passion of his; it has turned into a lifestyle. Logan found the game of basketball when he was six years old, but from the time he was three his father had a basketball in his hand. It was all he ever knew and from that moment, his dad opened his eyes to what would become a career choice.

“My father introduced me to the game,” said Logan. “He was my influence in that matter. I used to play against him all the time; he’d rough me up and tell me to get back on my feet. I thin that’s where my toughness comes from.”

These long tiring days on the court is what eventually prepared Logan for the road ahead. Every time he was knocked down he would always stand right back up ready to go at it again. This perseverance would be crucial at the high school level, as it was an up and down road for Logan.

His first three years saw Logan playing on the Junior Varsity team at Fairmont High School in Fairmont, West Virginia with only minimal reps on the varsity level. Finally, Logan said enough is enough and spent the summer of his junior year working harder than he ever had. Logan says he was at every summer workout determined to better his game.

“After my junior year in high school, I finally dedicated myself to improvement of my game,” said Logan. “I didn’t miss a summer workout at all and I started as a senior and was a captain of the team. We made it to the regional championship game that season before getting our season cut short before the state title game.”

Because of all of his hard work going into his senior season, Logan was left with a choice after high school. He had two offers on the table. The first option was a full ride academic scholarship to Division III Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia where he could play his four years of basketball. The other option was to go to The Community College of Beaver County for two seasons and see what happens after that.

Logan would eventually choose to go to the Community College of Beaver County and in the end, it would turn out to be the right choice. He would play two seasons for CCBC where he averaged 10.5 points per game and lead the team with 26 blocked shots in his sophomore season. He would receive all-conference honors in his sophomore year as well before he transferred to play at Edinboro University.

This is where he would meet current teammate Isaiah Prince and together they would lead the Fighting Scotts to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Playoffs, a place they had not been for five years. Logan would finish his career at Edinboro with 495 points and averaging 9.3 points per game. He also collected 30 blocks in his two seasons to go along with 80 assists.

When asked if he would make the same college choice that he did again, Logan said he would do it in a heartbeat. He says he had more opportunities coming out of Edinboro then he did if he would have come out of a Division III school.

“It gave me better opportunities coming out of Junior College,” said Logan. “If I would have gone Division III then I wouldn’t have the same opportunities as I would have coming out of Junior College getting a full scholarship to a Division II school.”

One of the many opportunities he received at Edinboro University, was the chance to meet two of his current teammates in Isaiah Prince and Gilmore Cummings. These two were essential in getting Logan to the Yellow Jackets. Logan says he knew about the Yellow Jackets in their first year but was still in school. However, after playing against the Yellow Jackets later that year, he got his shot and came to the team the following season.

“I found the Steel City Yellow Jackets in their first year,” said Logan. “Unfortunately, I was still in school and couldn’t play, so I waited my turn and got the opportunity to face them with an ABA team in West Virginia called the Wildcats. [Coach Ace] saw me play in person and I had a good showing in those games which landed me to the Yellow Jackets the next year.”

The transition to the Steel City Yellow Jackets was helped out for Logan by the fact that he already had a good friend on the team in Gil Cummings. Logan says Cummings and he have a great relationship off the court and it has been beneficial for Logan both on and off the court.

“Me and Gil have a great relationship outside of basketball as well,” said Logan. “He mentioned the team to me and asked me to play this season and I accepted. He’s been a huge staple in getting me mentally prepared and ready for all the games. He continued to lead our squad to success this season.”

With great team leadership and a winning attitude, Logan found a home here in Pittsburgh with the Steel City Yellow Jackets. As Pittsburgh is trying to build more and more of a fan base of people to come out and watch their games, Logan is just happy to help this famous sports city build a reputation in the sport of basketball.

“It means a lot to represent a city with a professional basketball team in it and have people who enjoy watching you play,” said Logan. “I’m just happy for the opportunity honestly, but playing for the people and the city of Pittsburgh is great.”

It has been a long journey in the basketball world for Logan as he has risen up through the ranks as a high school athlete, to a college athlete, and all the way to his current position as a professional basketball player. There have been some difficulties for Logan throughout his basketball career, but he cherishes the journey basketball has taken him on and what it holds for him in the future.

“Growing up all I knew was basketball,” said Logan. “Basketball has taken me so many places and I have experienced so many things just by playing a simple game. I’m thankful for what it has brought me thus far.”

For Johnathan Logan the basketball dream lives on as he works hard every day to be the best player he can be, and help the Steel City Yellow Jackets in any way he can. After reaching the playoffs for the third year in a row, Logan looks to continue the winning tradition of the Steel City Yellow Jackets right here in Pittsburgh.

Reddic's Big Game Leads Jackets to Victory

The Steel City Yellow Jackets played their final home game of the 2016/2017 regular season yesterday as they faced the Cleveland AM Pro'ers yesterday at the Neighborhood Academy. Antonio Reddic would have a game for the ages scoring 52 points and leading the Yellow Jackets to a 137-134 victory.

The final playoff push is here in the American Basketball Association and the Steel City Yellow Jackets are right in the thick of things in the final week of the regular season. With two more games to go, the Yellow Jackets started their final playoff push with a game against the Cleveland AM Pro'ers at the Neighborhood Academy yesterday.

It was a high scoring offensive affair but, in the end, the Yellow Jackets would be the ones who would come out victorious winning by the final score of 137-134. Each team had their own offensive star who absolutely went off in the game and it made for exciting basketball throughout the night. The crowd was energized and ready to go and the two teams were excited to do battle.

This was a close ball game throughout and each team's star of the night was firing on all cylinders early on. For the Yellow Jackets, it was Antonio Reddic putting up 15 points in the first quarter alone. On the opposite side of the court, Jesse Hardin was having some offensive success of his own as he busted out 14 points in his first quarter of play. It was exciting to watch and it led to the Yellow Jackets leading 34-27 after one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, while Hardin slowed down a little bit, Reddic continued doing his thing as he added 20 more points to his total in the quarter. The only other Yellow Jacket who even came close to Reddic's production was Lawrence Baker who hit four three pointers in the first half. The Yellow Jackets defense played well in the second quarter shutting down Jesse Hardin, however, Simon Kucharewicz posted 15 points in the quarter to keep it close. 

Thanks to a high scoring game, with minimal fouls, the first half flew by and the teams went into the locker room with the Yellow Jackets leading 74-64. Last time these two teams met earlier in the season the Yellow Jackets dominated the game winning by the score of 124-111. This time it would be an epic fight to the finish that pushed the Yellow Jackets and the Pro'ers to their limits.

Antonio Reddic would lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring going into half time posting 36 points. Reddic's season high prior to yesterday's game was 40 points, but his day was just getting started for the Yellow Jackets. He would be followed by Lawrence Baker, 12 points, and Jason Arrington, 6 points. For the Pro'ers, Jesse Hardin was having a great offensive day as well as he put up 23 points in the first half. He was followed by Simon Kucharewicz, 15 points, and Jamil Dudley, 10 points.

The offensive numbers continued to climb for both teams in the third quarter and some new faces started to rack up points. For the Yellow Jackets, Lawrence Baker continued to get on the board as he quietly put up seven in the third quarter of play putting his total for the evening up to 19 points. On the Pro'ers side of the ball, Morgan Jones collected a bucket and two three point shots to raise his total to 16 points on the night. With the lead sitting at 113-100, the Yellow Jackets would collect their largest lead of the night against  the Pro'ers.

The final minute of this ball game left fans sitting on the edge of their seats. The Yellow Jackets lead 136-134 with one minute showing on the clock when the Pro'ers called a time out. There would be two more timeouts and the Yellow Jackets defense remained stingy keeping the score the same with just 20 seconds remaining. Then the Pro'ers committed four consecutive fouls to bring Isaiah Prince to the foul line with 10 seconds remaining. Prince would go one for two at the line to make the score 137-134.

With ten seconds left and the Pro'ers down by three, they got the ball into Jesse Hardin's hands. Hardin already had 44 points on the night and had hit eight three pointers up to that point. He pulled up at the three point line with six seconds to go and put up the shot. It would hit off the rim too strong and fell into the hands of the waiting Yellow Jacket defense. All the Pro'ers had left was a desperation half court shot by Hardin as time expired but it ended up going over the hoop ending the game.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were lead by a break out performance from Antonio Reddic who demolished his season high scoring 52 points on the night. He was followed by Lawrence Baker, 22 points, and Bobby Swartwout, 15 points. Jesse Hardin had a big game for himself as well on the night as he lead the Pro'ers with 44 points. He was followed by Morgan Jones, 28 points, and Simon Kucharewicz, 20 points.

With the win, the Yellow Jackets improved to 13-8 on the season and finished out the home half of their 2016/2017 regular season with a record of 10-3. They were the number 21 ranked team in the country coming into action this week and with the win, and one more game tomorrow, the Yellow Jackets are looking to solidify their spot in the American Basketball Association playoffs for the third year in a row.

Steel City Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic

With all of the offense for both teams on the night, one man stood out among the rest and that was Antonio Reddic. Not only did he eclipse his season high in scoring on the night, he demolished it by putting up an astonishing 52 points against the Pro'ers. Reddic has been working hard all season long consistently leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring and he did that and so much more the night before. With the way Reddic has been playing this season, we knew he would put on a show in the final home game of the regular season and he did just that with his 52 point effort.

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets wrap up their 2016/2017 regular season on the road today when they travel to William and Mary College to take on the Fredericksburg Grizzlies. The Grizzlies come into the game as the number 17 ranked team in the country, so it will be a tough task for the Jackets. They will be looking to improve upon their 3-4 home record and get a victory to cap off the 2016/2017 regular season.

Dre Anthony Uses Role Models to Drive Professional Career

Role models have always been a big part of Steel City Yellow Jacket Dre Anthony's life. He has had a role model who has helped him along the way at every level of basketball and now he wants to be a role model for the next generation of basketball players here in Pittsburgh.

Everyone has someone that they look up to in life for help and guidance in everything they do. Whether it be the big names like Michael Jordan and Albert Pujols or someone who lives just down the street, these role models are all quintessential parts in helping us chase our dreams. Steel City Yellow Jacket Dre Anthony was fortunate enough to have three of these role model type figures who helped him in making his dreams of a professional basketball career become a reality.

Anthony’s love for the game of basketball started when he was eight years old seeing his uncle playing on the streets of Pittsburgh. Anthony said he was always intrigued by the idea of playing with the older kids and it is what always pushed him to be a better basketball player.

“Probably around eight years old is when I started playing [basketball],” said Anthony. “I had a lot of stuff going on so it kept me out of trouble. My uncle was playing and I always wanted to be around the game because I wanted to be around him.”

As Anthony got older and started maturing in the game of basketball, he got a rare opportunity that would introduce him to his second great role model in his life. Going into his junior high school years, Anthony and his family moved into the Penn Hills school district. Penn Hills was just coming off of a state championship, lead by head coach Jim Rocco, and Anthony picked the brain of Rocco to help him in his basketball career.

“I was fortunate because when I moved into Penn Hills school district in junior high school they were fresh off of a state championship,” said Anthony. “My high school coach Jim Rocco really took time to work with me over the years and stuff like that. I was fortunate to have a coach that wanted to work with me.”

All of that hard work with coach Rocco would pay off for Anthony in his high school years. He would end of being a three year starter for the Indians where he averaged 15 points per game. He was also a star in the classroom as well as he was on the High Honor Role in each of his four years with Penn Hills.

Anthony says that having a role model like coach Rocco has not only made him the player he is on the court today, but also the man he is today. He learned both lessons on and off the court from Rocco that made his transition into college basketball a little bit easier.

“[Having coach Rocco] prepared me for stuff like leadership, character, and off the court stuff,” said Anthony. “He taught me to see myself as an investment and really just working on my craft everyday and keep getting better. By the time I got to college I was prepared for a lot of different things, it was a challenge but I was ready to take them on.”

After high school, Anthony’s basketball career was put on hold as he sat out for a couple of seasons. He took on a full time job as a mail handler at the North Side Post Office before beginning the college search. After some time away from the game he ended up going to the Community College of Beaver County where he says head coach Dwayne Walker took a shot on him.

That shot turned out to be one worth taking as Anthony helped lead the team to a 26-1 record including being ranked number one in all of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Men’s basketball. Anthony averaged 22 points per game in that season and was named a Second-Team All-American at point guard.

He would then take his talents to USC Aiken in South Carolina where he averaged 13.6 points per game and four rebounds a night. Finally his college journey would take him to Clarion University, where he finished up his college career earlier this season. In his one season with Clarion he would lead the team in field goal percentage shooting .443 and would be second in scoring with 387 points.

Jumping from school to school helped prepare Anthony for the road ahead in professional basketball.  Anthony says that all of the moving around he did at the college level helped him prepare for the fast-paced life style that a professional basketball player has to endure on a daily basis.

“It was a transition because when you go through different teams and different personalities you kind of get used to change,” said Anthony. “I was just used to moving around. I did have some familiar faces and stuff as my junior college coach was on my staff last year when I came home, but it gets you ready to move on the fly and its one of those things that helps you prepare.”

His third great role model has helped him in his professional career here in Pittsburgh with the Steel City Yellow Jackets. Anthony is very close with teammate Lawrence Baker and that is what got him connected with the Yellow Jackets. Anthony says he came out to support Baker during games and when a spot opened up he took advantage.

“Lawrence Baker is like my big brother,” said Anthony. “I looked up to him and he has taken me under his wing overt the last five or six years. Seeing that he was playing [for the Yellow Jackets] I came out and supported him at games. I was set to go to Italy to play overseas but then things fell through, so this was an opportunity that he introduced for me. And then Coach Ace whenever a spot opened up he let me join the team and be a part of this organization.”

Anthony’s uncle, Coach Rocco, and Lawrence Baker have all been big role models in Anthony’s life and all three are the reason he is where he is today. Now that Anthony is playing professional basketball with the Steel City Yellow Jackets, he wants to be a role model for the hundreds of basketball players here in Pittsburgh who are looking to play at the next level.

“It’s special because a lot of people don’t know that this was a basketball city at one point and time,” said Anthony. “Historically there are a lot of great players that come out, but I just think a lot of guys get looked over. It’s giving us an opportunity to show that we do have talent here in Pittsburgh and maybe it can help out some of the younger guys coming up in the near future.”

Anthony has been a big pick up for the Yellow Jackets this season and was instrumental in their recent five game winning streak that brought them up to the number 18 team in the country. He has been a consistent member of the starting five since joining the team in January and he looks to leave his mark not only for himself, but for the players who will eventually follow in his foot steps.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Weekend Matchup Cancelled

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were supposed to travel down to Baltimore to take on the Baltimore Hawks this evening. However, the game has been cancelled leaving the Yellow Jackets stagant this weekend.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets and Baltimore Hawks were scheduled to continue their rivalry this evening in Baltimore, Maryland. However, due to reasons beyond the Yellow Jackets control, This evening's game between the two has been cancelled giving The Yellow Jackets a week to recover before the final week of regular season action in the American Basketball Association.

The Yellow Jackets came into the weekend looking to rebound from a 133-127 loss to the number one team in the country that snapped a five game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets had fought hard in that contest but unfortunately just came up short.

The Yellow Jackets entered the weekend as the number 18 ranked team in the country with a record of 12-8. They were up four spots from last week's ratings as they are trying to make a final push for the ABA playoffs. They were helped out by a season high five game winning streak that put them in the number 18 spot and they will have to wait a week before trying to improve their ranking.

Next Saturday February 25th will be the last home game of the 2016/2017 regular season as the Yellow Jackets are set to take on the Kalamazoo Cobras. The two teams were scheduled to meet earlier in the season but inclement weather was the culprit in cancelling that contest.

The Yellow Jackets have played some of their best basketball at home This season where they hold a record of 9-3. They like to have the home crowd behind them and it gets them going in the ball game. This team is full of offensive studs including Antonio Reddic, Gilmore Cummings, and Lawrence Baker. Each guy has made big contributions to this year's team and they will look to continue to make an impact as the team heads for the playoffs.

If you haven't gotten a chance to already, come on out and support your Steel City Yellow Jackets in their final home game of the 2016/2017 regular season. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and five dollars for students. It will be a night of excitement as the high powered Yellow Jacket offense looks to finish The regular season off on a good note. Come on out and Catch the Buzz.

Arrington Continuing Family Tradition In Steel City

For Steel City Yellow Jacket Jason Arrington, basketball has always been a big part of his family. Arrington has now turned that family tradition into a professional career right here in Pittsburgh with the Steel City Yellow Jackets.

Family. These are the people in your life who are always there for you and lead you on the right path to succeed. Whether they are related by blood or not is inconsequential as they are always there for you and always want what’s best for you. In many families, traditions are passed down from generation to generation with the older generations passing their skills and talents on to the younger generations as they try their best to continue the family legacy.

For Steel City Yellow Jacket Jason Arrington, basketball was that family tradition that was passed down.  Arrington is the youngest of four children and every single one of them played the sport of basketball. His father introduced him to the sport and it is something that has stuck with him since he has been four years old.

“[Basketball] was a family sport,” said Arrington. “My uncles always took me to the hole, no mercy. Once they started it, it trinkled on down through the family tree. My father and my Uncle O’Neil [introduced me to the game]. Uncle O’Neil set the record and now I have gone farther than he has [in my basketball career].”

As the youngest of four children, Arrington had many role models to look up to as he was growing up and maturing in the sport of basketball. All three of his older siblings played the sport and Arrington picked up tips and tricks from watching them play that he has emulated leading to his success at the professional level today.

“[All of my siblings] played before me,” said Arrington. “Even my sister played, she’s the oldest out of all of us. She was the first then both of my brothers played. They didn’t score as many points but just seeing them play I wanted to always be better.”

Arrington used these tips to help him start his high school basketball career. Playing with his uncles and the rest of his family made him a more complete player and he used that at Norfolk Christian High School in Norfolk, Virginia. Leadership was a staple of Arrington’s high school career as he was the team captain and always tried to push the other players on the team to be the best that they possibly could be.

Arrington was determined to play basketball at the next level after high school, but the college search proved more difficult then Arrington had hoped. Being from the small town of Norfolk, Virginia, Arrington says there weren’t a lot of scouts looking for guys and it effected his search for the right college for him.

“The college search was pretty hard,” said Arrington. “It’s pretty tough being from Virginia you don’t get too many scouts, It’s a tough city to get out of. But, I went to Hampton U and I went to the Apprentice School out of Newport News. I always played hard, but I kept moving from college to college so I never got settled really.”

No matter what basketball program Arrington was involved with, he tried to leave his mark. He would start out his collegiate basketball career at the Community College of Beaver County, where he started to get some more consistent playing time. He led the team in steals during the 2005/2006 season when he accumulated 109 while also finishing the season second on the team in scoring with 410 points and 15.7 points per game.

He would then transfer to The Apprentice School where for the first time in his college career he became a star on a team. He was the second leading scorer for the Builders scoring 403 points and averaging 13.9 points in his one season. He was also the most consistent free throw shooter going 88 for 118, .746, from the charity stripe.

Moving around as much as Arrington had to during college made basketball that much more difficult. Arrington says that each school you go to, you have to do your best to impress the coaches and get a feel for how they run things. With moving around all the time, he had to do this on a yearly basis and it was tough for him sometimes.

“Trying to make your place is tough,” said Arrington. “Coming in the first semester you’re just trying to get a feel for the game, get the feel of the team and the coaches. Then by second semester you’re in there. But, then coach is not really looking at you, you’re playing your hardest and then you have to try to transfer to another school and do the same thing over again. It’s pretty hard especially when you are trying to get to the next level whether it be overseas, ABA, or the NBA.”

Arrington’s countless hours of hard work and constant moving around at the college level would finally pay off when he got out of college. Arrington says he got in contact with Tony Hodges, a player for the Steel City Yellow Jackets at the time, and Antonio Reddic, who Arrington knew from seeing him play at Aliquippa. They started talking and got Arrington a try out for the team and the rest is history. One of the main things that Arrington noted was from the time he joined the Yellow Jackets, the leadership was great and it helped him gel with the team.

“Once I saw leadership through Gilly [Gil Cummings] and LB [Lawrence Baker] it clicked pretty easily,” said Arrington. “You see leadership and you start to follow that then you see people who are genuine, it’s easy to click with that.”

Arrington spoke very highly of the leadership surrounding the Steel City Yellow Jackets team and in particular Antonio Reddic. Arrington says that Reddic is the one who sets the bar for the style of play that you want as a Yellow Jackets and everyone is working to achieve that level of success on the court.

“Reddic is a man among boys,” said Arrington. “He’s willing to just pick up the game now for a year, two years he is awesome, amazing. He’s always hustling, plays hard, and never takes a play off. It’s something to look at and something to always be proud of and something to work hard for because he sets the bar high.”

Arrington feels right at home playing here in Pittsburgh with the Steel City Yellow Jackets. He follows his family legacy of playing basketball and making the most of every one of his opportunities. Whether it be on the bench or on the court he tries to keep his teammates going and encourage them in any way he can. He believes that with hard work and dedication the Steel City Yellow Jackets will be able to grow and one day they will be bigger than ever.