Steel City Yellow Advance In Playoffs, Play The Binghamton Bulldogs At Home Next Saturday

 


by Thomas Leturgey with Arianna Rosemond

The Steel City Yellow Jackets overcame a tight first quarter with a strong second 12 minutes to defeat the New York Hoop Dragons Saturday Night In Pittsburgh, 151 to 118.

The evening began with a great rendition of the National Anthem by Daela Voice. 

Ace Pippens' squad (Tone Reddic, Sr., Gilmore Cummings, Claude Scott, Jr., Brandon Franklin and James Jackson) and the Hoop Dragons (Brandon Thomson, Ramone Shy, Anthony Cox, Pace Shaw and Alex Mattina) deadlocked 28-28 in the first quarter at A Giving Place Community Center. Both teams were hitting jump shots, but playing better defense. Pittsburgh was committing more team fouls than the Hoop Dragons, 5 to 1. 

Alex Cox hat a hot hand for the Hoop Dragons early in the contest, but the Yellow Jackets' Kenny Holmes had an outstanding game of his own. 

The home team came alive in the second quarter, scoring 51 points to the visitor's 19 points.

The Hoop Dragons made a run in the third quarter, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 39-38, but it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh added 34 in the final 12 minutes of the game and New York nearly matched them with 32.

Kenny Holmes lead the Yellow Jackets with 42 points. Tone Reddic, Sr. and Brandon Franklin each had 21 points for the winning team. James Jackson had 18 and Tim Jackson added 10. Former Yellow Jacket BillyDee Williams, 6'6," returned to the club as the Yellow Jackets were in desperate need of a big man in the paint. Jason Arrington, Sr. had nine, Brandon Johnson seven, and Gilmore Cumming had five points.

Pace Shaw had 27 for the visitors and Alex Mattina added 27 and Anthony Cox had 26.

The Yellow Jackets return to A Giving Place for the next round of playoffs next Saturday against Binghamton Bulldogs. After that, there's a game on the 27th before moving onto the Final Eight in Kansas. 




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