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.

Yellow Jackets Knock off Number Nine Team in the Country in WIn

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.

Jackets Take Road Loss End Up Splitting Weekend

The Steel City Yellow Jackets went on the road last night to take on the Richmond Elite in the second game of the weekend. However, they were not as lucky as their first game as they fell to the Elite 118-98 dropping their season record to 7-6.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets played the second half of a weekend double header last night when they traveled down to Richmond, Virginia to take on the Richmond Elite. The Yellow Jackets would play solid basketball throughout, but fell just short in the end as the Elite were able to grab the victory by the score of 118-98 dropping the Yellow Jackets to 7-6 on the season.

The Yellow Jackets had an ok road record coming into the game as they sat at 2-2 on the season and were trying to improve upon that in this one. In Friday's contest, the Yellow Jackets would have a slow start and had to work to get back in the game and pick-up the victory. This game, however, was the exact opposite effect. The Yellow Jackets came out firing on all cylinders early in this one, lead by the red hot veteran Antonio Reddic who scored 14 points in the first quarter alone.

The Yellow Jackets would use this rallying point to mount an early 32-25 lead. To go along with Reddic's efforts, the Yellow Jackets would hit three big three point shots by Gil Cummings, Johnathan Logan, and Dre Anthony to rack up the points early. Logan has been the guy the Yellow Jackets have turned to when they needed a clutch three point shot this season and they went to him again early in this one.

The Richmond Elite would try to fight back in the second quarter, with the help of Anthony Sally's seven point effort that included a big three point shot. They did outscore the Yellow Jackets 26-24, but it was not enough to take the lead as the teams went into the locker room with the Jackets leading by the score of 56-51. One thing the Jackets have been great at this season is having the lead at half time as there are only four games all season in which the Jackets did not lead going into the break.

Antonio Reddic would lead his club in scoring at half time racking up 20 points in the contest and putting himself well on his way to continuing his streak of scoring 30 or more points in a game. He was followed by another great effort from Dre Anthony, who had 14 points on the night, and a tie between Juan Franklin and Gil Cummings for the third leading scorer with seven points each. For the Elite, Anthony Wynn led the half time score sheet scoring 15 points followed by Jaleel Nelson, 13 points, and Anthony Sally, seven points.

In the second half, both teams would come out hot as the Elite were trying to come back in this game and the Yellow Jackets were trying desperately to hold the lead. Gil Cummings and Dre Anthony would hit three point shots and Reddic would score seven in the quarter, but it was not enough to combat the Elite's 30 point attack that spread out between six different scorers and gave them a one point lead heading into the final quarter of play.

The offensive attack would only get better for the Elite in the fourth quarter as they put up their highest total of the game scoring 37 points . For the Yellow Jackets, it was their worst quarter of play in terms of scoring and even though Cummings hit two more three point shots, the Jackets could only muster 18 points in the quarter en route to falling to the Elite by the final score of 118-98. The loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 7-6 on the season and they fall to under a .500 winning percentage on the road, dropping to 2-3.

Reddic finished the day as the leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets with his 32 point effort, and increased his 30 points or more in a game streak to six. He was followed by Dre Anthony, 19 points, and Gil Cummings, 17 points, to round out the top three scorers. These were the only three Yellow Jackets to score in double digits on the day. For the Elite, it was Jaleel Nelson who would rule the day scoring 26 points. He was followed by Anthony Wynn's 23 point effort and Bernard Alston's 19 point effort.

Steel City Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic

Antonio Reddic has been absolutely red hot for the Yellow Jackets in recent weeks. With his 32 points in this game he has now scored 30 or more points in each of the Yellow Jacket's last six contests dating all the way back to December 17th against the Fredericksburg Grizzlies when he tied his season high scoring 38 points. Reddic has been one of the MVPs of this year's team so far and he will look to continue his success going into the last month and a half of the 2016/2017 regular season.

Up Next:

The Yellow Jackets will continue their slate of road games next Saturday, January 21st when they take on the Prince George's Valor. The next time the Yellow Jackets are scheduled to be at home is on February 3rd when they take on the Buffalo Blue Hawks. However, with their games on the 28th and 29th being moved up in the season, there is a possibility of home games on both of those dates. There are still plenty of opportunities left to see the Yellow Jackets in action so, if you haven't already, be sure to come on out and catch the buzz.

Jackets Come Up Big With Rivalry Gane Win

The Steel City Yellow Jackets played some hard nose basketball and came out victorious as they defeated their rivals, the Baltimore Hawks, by the score of 128-119. The victory propelled the Jackets to 7-5 on the season as they head on the road today.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore are two cities that genuinely hate each other in the sporting world. Whether it was the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles battling in the 70's for the world series or the classic rough and tough battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL today, neither city likes to see the other one across from them.

This classic Pittsburgh versus Baltimore rivalry would continue last night when the Steel City Yellow Jackets took on the number 21 team in the country in the Baltimore Hawks. It was the Yellow Jackets black out game and a capacity crowd filled the Neighborhood Academy to watch this classic rivalry.

The Yellow Jackets made some key mistakes early on in this matchup and it would allow the Hawks to jump out to an early 18-9 lead just give minutes into the contest. The Yellow Jackets would continue to fight back however and caused big turnovers to put them right back in it. After one quarter of play, with the score sat at 37-30.

The Yellow Jackets scoring was widely spread out in the first quarter as eight different Yellow Jackets got on the board. Gilmore Cummings led the bunch scoring six points in the first quarter of play. The chirpiness was already starting in this one and wasn't about to quiet down a bit.

The second quarter would belong to the Yellow Jackets as they took control of the scoreboard putting up 38 points to the Hawks 23. Good defense and rebounding by Lawrence Baker helped the Yellow Jackets to secure the ball and Dre Anthony made the most of his offensive opportunities scoring 14 points in the second quarter alone. Baltimore was baffled in the quarter as they had a lot of bad shots and a lot of turnovers. Nardi Bogues was the only one who seemed to be clicking as he scored seven points in the quarter.

The Jackets would go into half time with the lead once again as it was 67-60. Dre Anthony would lead the team in scoring at the half with 14 points on the night. He was followed closely by Lawrence Baker, 11 points, and Antonio Reddic, 10 points. For the Hawks, it would be Dishawn Bradshaw leading the way with 17 points followed by Bogues, 13 points, and Ding Santos, nine points.

The Yellow Jackets were in full control of this game with no signs of stopping before half time. However, when they came out to start the third quarter, some of the mistakes that had haunted them early on came back to bite them as the Hawks fought to get back in this game. As the quarter went on the Jackets would clean up their mistakes and the Hawks would start making mistakes of their own as both teams scored 27 points in the quarter. Reddic had the hot hand in the quarter as he was able to put up eight for the Yellow Jackets.

The crowd was into this one as they rocked the Neighborhood Academy setting up for one of the most exciting finishes all season. As holds true in many of these Pittsburgh/Baltimore matchups, things started to get heated towards the end of the game. There was a lot of trash talking among the teams, but the peace was kept and the game was managed very well between Coach Ace and Coach Brown for Baltimore.

With less than four minutes left in the game, the Yellow Jackets had a ten point lead sitting at 117-107 and the Hawks tried everything to come back. They fouled the Yellow Jackets three times over the last minute of play but they could not get anything going as they would ultimately fall in this one by the score of 128-119.

The Yellow Jacket were once again lead by veteran Antonio Reddic who scored 30 points on the night increasing his streak to five straight games now in which he has scored 30 or more points. Dre Anthony also had a strong showing in his first home contest with the Yellow Jackets as he put up 23 points in the night, followed by Lawrence Baker's 17 point effort. For the Hawks it was Nardi Bogues who would lead the way with a game high 32 points on the night. He was followed by Dishawn Bradshaw's 27 point effort in the game.

The win moves the Yellow Jackets to 7-5 on the season as they head out in the road today to face the Richmond Elite. The Yellow Jackets were the number 25 team in the country coming into the game and are looking to move up after beating the number 21 team in the country.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Player of the Game: Dre Anthony

In his first home game as a Yellow Jacket, Dre Anthony came up big with 23 points on the night and it was enough to secure him the Yellow Jackets Player of the Game award. Anthony recently joined the Yellow Jackets and is looking to make an immediate impact as they make a run for a third straight playoff apperance.

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets are back in action today when they take on the Richmond Elite on the road. The next time the Yellow Jackets are scheduled to play at home is on February 3rd when they take on the Buffalo Blue Hawks. There are only a few remaining home games left, so if you haven't already come on out and catch the buzz.

Pittsburgh Born and Raised Antonio Reddic Proud to Represent Pittsburgh Area

Antonio Reddic was born and raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and has been around sports his entire life. He is proud to represent the city of Pittsburgh and continues to show the passion for both basketball and his hometown on the court night in and night out for the Steel City Yellow Jackets

“Fight, Fight, Fight.” This has been Steel City Yellow Jackets Guard Antonio Reddic’s motto in everything he does. Reddic has been a member of the Steel City Yellow Jackets since the team was founded back on November 8^th, 2014. He has lead the team to the playoffs in each of their first two years of existence, and Reddic currently leads the team in scoring with 194 points during the season. After starting the year as the sixth man off the bench, he has made his way into the Yellow Jackets every day starting lineup.

Reddic is tearing it up on the court for the Yellow Jackets now, but growing up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania basketball was not his number one sport. Reddic was a star football player who played street ball from time to time and it was not until his 11^th grade year when he found basketball and developed a love for the game. It was in a game against Schenley High School when it was cemented in his mind that basketball was the sport for him.

“In my 11^th grade year we played against Schenley [High School] and I got to start,” said Reddic. “I was about to just stop and continue playing football, but then I saw a couple people like [Denver Nuggets guard] DJ Kennedy, [Phoenix Suns guard] Dejuan Blair, and a couple of the big names in basketball that I was reading about before I was playing. To be out there and doing as well as I was I knew I could keep reaching to the next level.”

This drive and determination helped Reddic to excel in the sport of basketball and in his senior year he lead Aliquippa to the state title against the defending state champions Prep Charter of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, after a great game by Reddic in which he scored a team high 23 points, ten rebounds, and six assists, Aliquippa would fall in the state title game leaving Reddic wondering what his next step would be.

“Right out of high school I didn’t have any scholarships for basketball,” said Reddic. “I had all football scholarships for division I, division II, division III you name it, but I went to Juco College in New York and I ended up breaking my collar bone, and that’s when I started playing basketball.”

It would be a long painful road back for Reddic, but eventually he would get back to basketball as he moved down to New Mexico state where he rehabbed and got back to the sport he loved. He would finish out his schooling at Edinboro University and that is where he met up with fellow veteran and Steel City Yellow Jackets team captain Gilmore Cummings. The two made an immediate connection and this is what ultimately landed Reddic with the Steel City Yellow Jackets.

“If it wasn’t for Gil I wouldn’t be here,” said Reddic. “I went to school at Edinboro when I transferred for football and he graduated from Edinboro where I met him, and from there we just connected.”

And that connection is what ultimately lead Reddic to the Steel City Yellow Jackets. Reddic has seen this team through all of the good times and the bad times. Since 2014 he has been on two playoff bound teams including a team that in 2014 started off the season 8-0. Through all of the ups and downs this is what has stayed consistent, Reddic’s love for the team and this city. He wants to be able to bring basketball to the many fans in the Pittsburgh area who have been longing for a basketball team for so many years. He feels that as the Yellow Jackets continue to grow, the possibility for basketball in Pittsburgh gets better and better.

“We are the only professional [basketball] team around here,” said Reddic. “People need basketball around here. People don’t think it’s a basketball city but it really is. We have multiple sports including hockey, football, and baseball but we just need basketball now and I believe we can do it. We just have to get the support from our fans and keep them believing in us and we can do it.”

Reddic is one of three veterans on this year’s Yellow Jackets team. Joining him are Team Captain Gilmore Cumming and veteran guard Lawrence Baker. Reddic has developed a great chemistry with these two and it has led to a strong core of leadership on this team to help the young guys continue to grow. Reddic says that Baker and Cummings have been his biggest supporters on this team and he has their backs no matter what happens with the team.

“I’m an only child and [Cummings and Baker] are like my brothers,” said Reddic. “Every step of the way I have their backs and they have mine no matter right or wrong whatever they want to do I’m all in for it.”

This chemistry and Reddic’s competitive spirit is what has given him the success he has had for the Yellow Jackets. Reddic plays with fire and passion that is almost unmatched on the court. This competitive spirit not only drives him on the court but drives him in everything he does. Whether it be on the court or with life in general, Reddic is determined to be the hardest worker out there and through hard work and determination he is determined to come out on top in everything he does. Basketball has been a big part of his life and he continues to show his passion for the game even at the professional level.

“[Basketball] means a lot to me,” said Reddic. “I’m a competitor, I love living for the extra fight, the extra adrenaline, and it’s great I love it. I love sports period and I’m just a competitor. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing basketball or soccer I just want to win.”

Reddic’s winning spirit and passion is what has lead the Yellow Jackets to two straight playoff runs and what will be needed in the future to make it three in a row. Reddic has been a big part of the Yellow Jackets success and he wants to play as long as he possibly can while still contributing. And the Yellow Jackets would love to have him for as long as they can while they look to capture that all important American Basketball Association title.

Jackets Score Big Win Against Top 25 Team

The Steel City Yellow Jackets were back in action Saturday after a long weather-aided layoff. They were able to use their rest and relaxation to propel them to a big win against the number 21 team in the country in the Fredericksburg Grizzlies as they won 131-128.

It has been a while since the Steel City Yellow Jackets have taken the court. Weather has not been on their side as snow resulted in both of their games being cancelled last week, but it gave them a chance to get some much needed rest after two very tough games and a big comeback victory that had them sitting at 4-3 on the season.

That rest would prove to help the Yellow Jackets as they picked up a big win against the number 21 team in the country, the Fredericksburg Grizzlies, winning by the score of 131-128. The number 23 ranked Yellow Jackets took a big lead early on and used that to help propel them to victory. The game would end up being close in the end, but the Yellow Jackets were still able to pick up their fifth win of the season.

After leading throughout the game, the Grizzlies fought back to cut the deficit to just 10 points with a little under three minutes to go in the ball game. The Grizzlies would turn up the heat on the Yellow Jackets as they went into a full court press defense. This allowed them to creep within two points with 35.7 seconds left on the clock. Anthony Poindexter then came to the line for the Grizzlies to shoot three free throw shots. He would end up making all three and gave the Grizzlies their first lead of the game.

However, Antonio Reddic got his hands on the ball for the Jackets and produced a slam dunk that allowed the Yellow Jackets to retake the lead with 25 seconds to go. Then the big moment in the game happened when Isaiah Prince came to the free throw line with just over ten seconds on the clock. With the Jackets up by two he had to make both free throw attempts to make it a two possession game. He was able to do just that and after another defensive stop the Yellow Jackets were able to come away with the victory.

While this game was close at the end it did not start out that way at all. The Yellow Jackets would jump out to a big lead right away scoring 43 points in the first quarter of play to take an early 43-22 lead. The early offensive charge was lead by Reddic who had 12 points in the first quarter while making what was his first start of the 2016/2017 season.

Several Yellow Jackets got their first starts of the season in this one as joining Reddic in getting their first starts were Lamont Wright and Isaiah Prince. Wright was another big part of the early surge as he put up eight points in the first quarter making the start for Marcus Smith. The Yellow Jackets used a good rotation throughout the day with a total of 11 of the 14 players that were suited up for the Jackets seeing time.

The Yellow Jackets would once again lead at halftime as they built upon their big first quarter lead to go into the break up 72-52. Reddic continued his scoring success in the second quarter and went into the break with 23 points on the night. Reddic was followed by Lawrence Baker, 14 points, and Lamont Wright, 13 points, to round out the top three scorers for the Yellow Jackets.

For the Grizzlies, Joe Posey lead the charge in the first half with his 14 points on the night. Anthony Poindexter was the other Grizzly to score in double digits in the first half of play as he had 11 points. The Grizzlies had not had a lot of offense to that point and were looking to put something together to try and mount a comeback late in this one.

They would start out hot in the second half as they scored 37 points to the Yellow Jackets 30 to cut the lead down to 102-89 with one quarter of play. Then the drama unfolded as the Grizzlies tried to fight back in the fourth quarter, but the Jackets were able to hold them off and pick up a much needed victory improving their record to 5-3 on the season.

Antonio Reddic would finish the day as the leading scorer for the Jackets tying his season high by scoring 38 points in the contest. Lamont Wright would be the next highest scorer for the Yellow Jackets as he scored a season high 22 points in the contest. For the Grizzlies, Joe Posey ended the day as the leading scorer with his team high 34 points. He was followed by Poindexter who put up a total of 27 points on the night.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic

Antonio Reddic brought the fire and passion on the court tonight for the Yellow Jackets and it was enough to ink him his third Yellow Jackets player of the game award on the season. He scored a team high 38 points on the evening and included some big time defensive plays that allowed the Yellow Jackets to hold on for their fifth win of the season. Reddic has been one of the leaders of this Yellow Jackets team and he will be one of the key contributors for the Yellow Jackets trying to make their third straight playoff run.

Up Next:

The Yellow Jackets will have a quick turn around as they are right back at it Sunday night when they travel to take on the Kentucky Enforcers. The last time these two teams faced off was on opening day when the Enforcers came out victorious. The Yellow Jackets will be looking for redemption at the Enforcers house Sunday night. The home schedule of the first half of the regular season is over, however, there will still be many more chances for you to come out and catch the buzz.

Jackets Comeback Falls Just Short in Loss to DMV

The Steel City Yellow Jackets fought all the way back from being twenty points down to take a lead late, but it was not enough as the DMV Warriors came out victorious by the score of 126-125. A buzzer beater in the last second of the game would down the Jackets ending their three game winning streak.

In sports it is said that 0.1 seconds can be the difference between winning and losing a game. For the Steel City Yellow Jackets that 0.1 second came back to haunt them as they dropped last night's game to the DMV Warriors by the score of 128-127. The Clash of Champions lived up to its expectations as the number three team in the country was given a run for their money by your number 17 ranked Steel City Yellow Jackets.

The Yellow Jackets would fight back from being 20 points down in the game to make it just a two point lead with under one minute to go in the ball game. Then Gil Cummings hit a three point shot with :17 seconds on the clock to make the score 125-125. Antonio Reddic would then be fouled with 3.5 seconds on the clock and he made one of his two free throws to give the Jackets a  127-125 lead.

With 3.5 seconds left on the clock, the Warriors did not have much time to try and win the ball game. The Jackets were in press coverage trying to keep the ball in the back court, but Dylon Cormier found a way to sneak past the Jacket defense, get open down the court, and shoot a deep three-pointer off the glass as the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors the victory. The Yellow Jackets played their hearts out in this game and came up just short in the end.

This game would start out going the Yellow Jackets way as they were helped out by Johnathan Logan who hit four three point shots in the first quarter of play to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 36-34 lead. The crowd was loud and in this game right from the beginning as they rocked the neighborhood academy and the Yellow Jackets responded.

The high scoring affair would continue into the second quarter of play as the DMV Warriors, lead by Cormier would put up 28 points to the Yellow Jackets 25 to make the half time score Warriors 62, Yellow Jackets 61. This was the first game all season where the Jackets were trailing at halftime, they were tied at half time last week against the Cleveland AM Pro'ers. Head Coach Ace Pippens and his team went to the locker room to strategize for the second half.

Logan's 12 points he scored in the first quarter was good for the team lead at halftime. He was followed by Lawrence Baker who had 9 points and Antonio Reddic and Juan Franklin who each had eight points in the contest. The Warriors were lead by Dylon Cormier, 16 points, Brian Smith, 12 points, and Kemp McCray 11 points.

The Warriors would take control to start the third quarter going on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 68-61. They would take their biggest lead of the ball game with 1:54 in the quarter as they lead by 23 points. Antonio Reddic turned it on in the second half scoring nine points in the third quarter to help the Jackets fight back a little bit to put the score at 90-105 going into the final quarter of play.

The fourth quarter was probably the best quarter of basketball played by the Yellow Jackets all season long. They were down 15 points to enter the quarter and Gil Cummings and Antonio Reddic would lead the comeback. Reddic scored 20 points in the quarter by himself and Commungs added 10 points in the quarter including the big three point shot that gave the Jackets the lead with :17 seconds to go in the ball game. It was an absolutely electric atmosphere as the crowd and the team were fired up, but the buzzer beater shot would eventually drop the Jackets in this ball game.

Antonio Reddic lead the crew scoring a season high 37 points in the contest, including 20 in the fourth quarter alone. He was joined in double digits by Gil Cummings, 26 points, Johnathan Logan, 12 points, Lawrence Baker, 11 points, and Juan Franklin, 10 points. Reddic also lead the team in rebounds picking up nine on the night. The Warriors were lead by Dylon Cormier's 39 points and Calvin Lee's 10 rebounds.

The Yellow Jackets truly played their hearts out in this game and it was by far their best game of basketball all season. The emotions ran high in both the players and the fans and made for one exciting night of American Basketball Association Basketball. The Yellow Jackets may have lost this one, but as the famous saying goes "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Knowing this team they will comeback, work hard, and be better than ever in the weeks to come.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic

This was another tough decision for player of the game, but this week the award goes to Antonio Reddic. Reddic lead the team scoring a season high 37 points in the game including 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. He shot 70% from the free throw line on the night including three crucial ones at the end of the game. He also lead the Jackets in rebounding picking up nine on the night. Reddic has been very consistent in that department all season long picking up nine rebounds in three of the teams five games so far this season. 

Up Next:

The Steel City Yellow Jackets continue their home schedule this week as they take on the PG Valor at the Barack Obama Academy Gymnasium on December 3rd. The Yellow Jackets will look to improve upon their (3-2) record and look to start another winning streak. Tickets are 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for children. Be sure to come on out and support your Steel City Yellow Jackets and Catch the Buzz.

Yellow Jackets Continue Winning Streak into Week Two of Play

After the second week of the American Basketball Association season, the Steel City Yellow Jackets have won back to back games going into week three of the season. Lawrence Baker and Antonio Reddic have lead the charge for the Jackets so far as they look to keep their winning ways going in week three.

Week two of the American Basketball Association season has come and gone, and your Steel City Yellow Jackets are riding high as they have won back to back games after defeating the York Buccaneers on Saturday by the score of 132-102. The Yellow Jackets showed what they can do when the team plays together and communicates on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. 

The Yellow Jackets have shown the ability to score a lot of points through the first two weeks of the season as they have scored at least 110 points in each of their first three games of the season. Part of this goes to their shooting beyond the arc as three point shots have been falling for the Jackets left and right. In their game on Saturday against York, Lawrence Baker hit four three point shots, Jonathan Logan hit three, and Marcus Smith, Antonio Reddic, Juan Franklin, and Gil Cummings each hit threes in the game.

On Saturday, it was all offense for the Yellow Jackets as they pulled way ahead in the first quarter of play to a 33-7 lead. They would lead at half-time for the third straight game as it was 66-55. Then once again the offense fired up in the third quarter where the Jackets lead 100-78 and, with the help of a strong second half performance by Reddic, the Yellow Jackets would pull away and win by the score of 132-102. The 132 points were the most on the season by the Yellow Jackets to this point in the 2016/2017 season.

The Yellow Jackets were lead offensively once again by veteran Lawrence Baker who had 24 points on the day. He was followed closely behind by Reddic, who had 22 points including 14 in the second half, Juan Franklin, who had 20 points, and Marcus Smith, who had 18 points in the contest. Reddic lead the rebound department pulling in nine on the night to help the Jackets defense stifle the Buccaneers.

Lawrence Baker upped his season total in points to 77 on the year through three games which leads the Yellow Jackets team. Reddic added nine rebounds on Saturday upping his total on the season to a team high 23 rebound. Although Reddic has yet to start a game this season, he has seen the court more than any Yellow Jacket to this point.

That Jackets defense was very good on the night holding the York Buccaneers to just 102 points on the night, a season low on for the team. Coach Ace has been preaching the fact that his team needs to talk on defense, and they did just that in this game. They put pressure on the Buccaneers in their own zone and that forced multiple bad shots that the Jackets were able to capitalize on.

The Jackets also played their first full game of basketball on the season. In their first two games they allowed the other team to stay in the game and that caused the loss on opening night and the narrow win in game two. However, they never let York feel like they were in the ball game and as a result the Buccaneers never had the confidence that they could come back in the game. This team is passionate about the game of basketball and is hungry to win. That hunger is what is going to drive them through this season as they try to march to their third straight playoff appearance.

Along with the win on Sunday, several of the Yellow Jackets made their season debuts including Luke Kochka, Khari Bess, and Melvin Ford. Bess was coming off of injury and was in his first game back where he scored eight points on the night. Kochka had five points in his season debut and Melvin Ford scored two on the night as well. Jason Arrington missed Saturday's game after falling awkwardly on his arm in the game against Reading.

Coach Ace talked about the team having a good week of practice last week, and they will look to do it again this week as they go for their third win in a row. The Yellow Jackets currently sit at 2-1 after picking up their first conference win of the year on Saturday. They will look to build off of their season high 132 points as they take on the Cleveland AM Proers this Satruday at the Barack Obama Academy Gymnasium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Steel City Yellow Jacket Player of the Week: Antonio Reddic

There were so many great performances on Saturday against the York Buccaneers that it was hard to come up with just one player of the week. However, after taking home player of the game on Saturday, Antonio Reddic takes home the crown as this weeks player of the week. Reddic scored 22 points in Saturday's game against the York Buccaneers and picked up nine rebounds. He upped his season total to 23 rebounds which leads the team. As one of the veterans on this team, he will be looked upon to guide the club as they move on into week three of the 2016/2017 season.

Up Next:

The Yellow Jackets will be back in action this Saturday when they take on the Cleveland AM Proers at the Barack Obama Academy gymnasium at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for 10 dollars per adult and five dollars per student at eventbrite.com or at the door. Come on out as your Yellow Jackets try to win their third straight game and be sure to Catch the Buzz.

Jackets Offense Leads to Second Straight Win

The Steel City Yellow Jackets picked up their second win of the season tonight as they defeated the York Buccaneers by the score of 132-102. The offense came on strong and performed well from beyond the arc for the second straight time.

After dropping their home opener to the Kentucky Enforecers, the Steel City Yellow Jackets have won two in a row as they defeated the York Buccaneers yesterday by the score of 132-102. For the second straight night, the Jackets had a hot hand hitting many three points on the night.

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a huge lead early on in this game as they took a 33-7 lead midway through the first quarter. Johnathan Logan was a big part of the early offense as he hit three three point shots early in the game.

The Jackets defense played well early as well with Lawrence Baker picking up several rebounds early in the game. The York Buccaneers would come back in this game thanks to Lionel Pierce's 21 first half points.

Baker and Juan Franklin lead the Jackets through the first half as they each scored 18 points to go along with nine from Logan and eight from Antonio Reddic as the Jackets lead at half time for the third straight game by the score of 66-55.

The Jackets would come out of half time as hot as they were in the first half as they jumped out to a 100-78 lead in the third quarter of play. Marcus Smith was a big part of the scoring as after not scoring at all in the first half he jumped out and scored 11 points.

The York Buccaneers were not accurate all night long as they missed several three pointers throughout the night. The Jackets took advantage of this and used their accuracy to jump out to their big lead.

With Lawrence Baker on the bench for most of the second half, Reddic stepped up and delivered offensively scoring 14 points in the second half of play to lead the Yellow Jackets to the victory.

Baker lead the offensive attack for the second straight game as he got a team high 24 points. He was closely followed on the day by Reddic who finished with 22 points and Juan Franklin who finished the day with 20 points. Marcus Smith also got into double digits scoring 18 points in the second half of play.

For York, it was the Lionel Pierce show as he lead the way with a game high 32 points in the contest. Ernest Hargett also got into double digits with his 14 points on the night. The loss dropped York to 0-3 on the season as they have yet to break through in the win column.

The Yellow Jackets picked up their second win of the season improving on the season to 2-1. They showed once again just how prolific their offense can be by scoring a season high 132 points on the night. Baker, Logan, and Cummings all provided from beyond the arc and Reddic's 14 second half points lead the Jackets to victory.

To go along with the win, several Jackets made their season debuts with Luke Kochka, Khari Bess, and Melvin Ford all making their season debuts. All three scored their first ABA points in the contest as Kochka had five, Bess had eight, and Ford finished the night with two.

Steel City Yellow Jackets Player of the Game: Antonio Reddic

Antonio Reddic lead the offensive charge in the second half with his 14 points that pulled the Jackets to their 132-102 victory. Reddic scored a season high 22 points overall and pulled down seven rebounds in the contest. Reddic, despite having not started a game this season, has played the most minutes out of any Yellow Jacket in two of the three games.

Up Next:

The Yellow Jackets return to action this coming Saturday November 19th when they take on the Trenton Caters at 7 p.m. at the Barack Obama Academy gymnasium. The Jackets are riding a two game winning streak and look to push ahead on their quest to make the playoffs for the third straight season.

Game Notes: Yellow Jackets Start Second Week With Matchup Against Buccaneers

The Steel City Yellow Jackets Get Ready for their second week of play as they take on the York Buccaneers this Saturday at 7 p.m. The Yellow Jackets came off of a split weekend in which they beat the Reading Wizards 114-105 and lost to the Kentucky Enforcers 131-124.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets had a successful opening weekend of the American Basketball Association season as they split their two games to come out with a record of 1-1. They entertained many fans at the Barack Obama Academy Gymnasium on Pittsburgh's North Side and played some exciting high scoring basketball.

The Yellow Jackets are back this week as they come into week two of the season where they will take on the York Buccaneers tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Barack Obama Academy gymnasium. The Yellow Jackets will be looking to go over .500 for the first time this season and they have many positive aspects from last week's games to build off of.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets week one player of the week, Lawrence Baker, leads the team in scoring with 53 points on the season. Baker, in his third season with the Yellow Jackets, has been on this team since the beginning in 2014 and has seen them through back-to-back playoff runs. Another three year veteran to the team, Antonio Reddic, leads the team defensively accumulating 14 rebounds through two games.

The new players on this year's team got their time to shine as well through the first two games. Juan Franklin scored a single game team high 32 points in the teams opener against the Kentucky Enforcers. He was joined on the double digit list in that game by other new comer Marcus Smith who had 24 points of his own.

The Yellow Jackets are very good from beyond the arc as they hit 76% of their three point shots last weekend. They were topped by Baker who hit eight in Sunday's game alone and in total has 13 on the season. Three pointers were key in the Yellow Jackets beating the Reading Wizards as to go along with Baker's eight three pointers, Gilmore Cummings added four, and Davont Jackson, Smith, Jonathan Logan, and Jason Arrington each added one.

The Yellow Jackets lead both of their games over the weekend going into halftime, but they could not come out with the victory in game one as they let their lead slip away. That is one thing they will have to work on as the season moves forward. However, once the players get used to being around each other, this problem should fix itself.

The Yellow Jackets will be playing their first conference opponent this season as they take on the York Buccaneers this Saturday. The Buccaneers enter this game having dropped their first two contests by scores of 130-112 and 129-122. They faced off against the Baltimore Hawks in the season opener and took on the Richmond Elite the next day.

The Buccaneers are lead offensively by Dwayne Birden who has a team high 81 points on the season. They feature almost a dual threat attack offensively as they combat Birden's 81 points with Ernest Hargett who has 61 points of his own. The key to the game for the Yellow Jackets is going to be to shut down the offensive attack of these two players

The last time these two teams met was last season on February 21, 2016 and the Yellow Jackets came out victorious in that game by the score of 139-106. Baker and Reddic were both part of that game a season ago and will look to lead the team tomorrow night against York as well. In total the two teams met twice last season with the Yellow Jackets winning both of those contests.

The Yellow Jackets will put their (1-1) record on the line with tip off scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow. It is also Veterans and Servicemen Day where the Steel City Yellow Jackets will be honoring the servicemen and woman who defend our country and its freedoms. Tickets are 10 dollars for adults and five dollars for students. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at eventbrite.com. Come on out to the Barack Obama Academy Gymnasium and be sure to Catch the buzz.