The Steel City Yellow Jackets have played some big games this season, but none came bigger than last night's 139-122 victory over the number nine team in the country the Richmond Elite. The Yellow Jackets improved to 12-7 with the victory and increased their winning streak to five games in a row.
The Steel City Yellow Jackets are making one final late season push to make the American Basketball Association playoffs. The stage was set yesterday for a big match-up as the Yellow Jackets, who have played very well at home this season, welcomed in the number nine ranked team in the country the Richmond Elite. A win for the Yellow Jackets would go a long way in helping their positioning in the playoff picture, and they had a packed house with a high energy crowd.
The Yellow Jackets would answer the call and came up with a huge win defeating the Elite by the final score of 139-122. This was by far the best game the Yellow Jackets have played all season as their offense was able to move the ball around and the defense turned one of the most potent offenses in the ABA into a one dimensional attack.
This match-up was tight right from the get go with both teams firing on all cylinders early on. Both offenses had their leaders step up early on as Antonio Reddic put up 14 points in the first quarter alone leading the Yellow Jackets to 37 first half points. For the Elite it would be Kevin Judon providing 11 points for his team on their way to scoring 32 in the quarter. You could tell right away this game was going to be tight throughout and the big set-up did not disappoint.
The second quarter was the highest scoring quarter of the game, but we saw a shift on both teams when it came to their offensive possessions. The Yellow Jackets went back to what has been working for them all season long as they used good passing to get the ball around. In total, nine Yellow Jackets would get on the board in the quarter. On the Elite side of the ball, their offense was getting more and more one dimensional as Duvaughn Maxwell ran their offense in the quarter putting up 10 points. When all was said and done the Yellow Jackets went into the locker room with a slim 76-68 lead.
Antonio Reddic would lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring at the halfway point as he put up 20 points in the first half. He was followed by Dre Anthony, 15 points, and Khari Bess, 9 points. For the Elite, it would be Duvaughn Maxwell leading the way at half time with 19 points. He was followed by Kevin Judon, 18 points, and Bernard Alston, 9 points. This was a heated contest throughout and the second half was shaping up to be an exciting half of basketball.
The third quarter was a back and forth affair as both teams played strong defense and had potent offensive attacks. Antonio Reddic found the offensive groove that lead him to eight straight games of scoring 30 or more points on this night as he put up 11 in the quarter. This combined with Lawrence Baker's 13 points gave the Yellow Jackets 31 points in the quarter and the Yellow Jackets would lead 107-99 heading into the final quarter of play.
The Yellow Jackets defense stepped up big time in the third quarter and allowed the Jackets offense to take control of this game. Duvaughn Maxwell put up 12 points in the quarter, but that was all the offense the Elite could put together as they only put up 23 points in the quarter. For the Yellow Jackets, six different players combined to put up 30 points to help secure the 139-122 victory.
Antonio Reddic found his way back into the 30 point range after a couple games break as he lead the Yellow Jackets with 38 points on the night. He was followed by Lawrence Baker, 26 points, and Gil Cummings, 17 points. For the Elite, Duvaughn Maxwell would score a game high 39 points on the night to lead the team. He was followed by Kevin Judon, 24 points, and Anthony Wynn, 20 points.
Things got ugly after the final whistle blew in this one, but when all was said and done the Yellow Jackets picked up their fifth straight win and improved to 12-7 on the season. This game was the best all-around game for the Yellow Jackets on the season as they passed the ball well and played hard nosed defense when needed.. It showed that the Yellow Jackets can play with the best of them and went a long way in helping the team through their final playoff push.
Steel City Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic
Antonio Reddic found his way back into the 30 point range after a couple games in the 20's and that was enough to earn him the Steel City Player of the Game. He lead the Yellow Jackets with 38 points on the night and sparked this Yellow Jackets offense throughout the night. Reddic has been a big part of the Yellow Jackets success this season whether it be in the starting five or coming off of the bench. In his third season, Reddic hasn't slowed down a beat and he has showed night in and night out that he still has it.
Up Next:
The Steel City Yellow Jackets head out on the road to continue their weekend facing off with top 25 teams in the country when they face off with the number one ranked DMV Warriors. The Yellow Jackets will be looking to improve upon their 3-4 road record while trying to take down the top team. The last time these two teams met, it came down to a buzzer beater three point shot that gave the Warriors a one point victory. For updates on today's game you can follow along on the Yellow Jackets Facebook Page for all the action. As the Yellow Jacket continue their late season push, everyone is beginning to Catch the Buzz.
No comments:
Post a Comment