Yellow Jackets Advance To Northeast Regional Championship With Impressive Win Over Binghamton, 135-118

 

The Steel City Yellow Jackets celebrate at center court following their win over Binghamton. Photos by Thomas Leturgey

by Thomas Leturgey with Arianna Rosemond

Nearly from the tip-off, the Steel City Yellow Jackets were in charge of their own destiny Saturday Night against the Binghamton Bulldogs

Antonio Reddic, Sr. seemingly won the opening tip-off, but he was immediately swarmed by the Bulldogs and they all fell to the hardwood. The referees pulled everyone apart and had a second jump ball. This time, it was swatted right into the hands of Ace Pippen's squad.

The Bulldogs did hit the very first bucket of the night in this Semi-Final game in the Northeast Championship bracket. Co-Captain Gilmore Cumming hit a triple to take the lead. And then another. And then another. It was quickly 9-2 Yellow Jackets with 9:50 to go in the first quarter. 

Claude Scott, Jr. hit a jumper to extend the lead to 11-4 and then Co-Captain Reddic hit the first of his three-pointers of the evening, and then he scored five more points. The Yellow Jackets extended their early lead to 19-5 on the strength of its Captains. 

Scott and Reddic scored to extend the lead. That's when Tim Jackson subbed in and scored a couple of buckets before getting into an argument with one of the refs. James Jackson was awarded a technical foul for grabbing the ref's sleeve. The Yellow Jackets had a 29-8 lead at that time. 

Reddic lead the end of the first quarter. He hit a three-pointer and a was fouled. He made that free throw and the lead was extended to 41-15. Jason Arrington hit a jumper to make it 43-15 at the end of the first quarter. As one might imagine, that explosive lead could not be maintained.

The second quarter with Binghamton leveling the playing field. Reddic answered some early scoring, as did Brandon Franklin. Cummings hit a triple to stall small Bulldog surge. It was 53-34 at 6:33 of the second quarter.

Reddic scored four more and then super-sub Kenny Holmes hit the scoresheet with his first bucket of the night. Holmes hit a free-throw to make it 60-38 with just a little over 4 minutes left in the quarter. Scott and Franklin landed some more points as the Yellow Jackets' lead had slipped to 71-50 at the end of the first half. 

In fact, the Bulldogs had outscored the Yellow Jackets 32-21 in the second 12 minutes.

The third quarter began with the Bulldogs hitting the first four points before Scott made it 73-55. Franklin, Reddic and Scott hit scores to make it 81-69 with 6:09 to go in the third. James Jackson hit a couple of free throws, but the Bulldogs trimmed the lead to the closest it had been since the outset at 83-74. 

Reddic hit a three-pointer and Holmes scored from the floor to make it 90-77 with 3:53 to go in the third. Tim Jackson added a three-pointer, a jumper and two free throws to make it 100-80 right before the end of the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets extended the lead to 100-83.

Kenny Holmes came out like gangbusters in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they ran into a series of missed shots from the floor and free-throw line. The Yellow Jackets were able to grab a majority of the rebounds and keep the run-and-gun offense flowing. Holmes had six points (two-three-pointers) in quick succession and the Bulldogs were having a difficult time adding to the scoreboard. 

Holmes hit another trey and soon the Yellow Jackets led 118-95. With 3:47 left, the Bulldogs Ralph Williams and Cummings got into a scrum. The game was stopped momentarily; however, tempers did not flair and both men stayed in the game.

Holmes took over the final moments of the game with a spurt of scoring. There was even a moment in which he scored two buckets in quick session that the refs were unsure of the score. He hit a jumper making it 128-110 and that when the fans stared singing "Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye." Brandon Johnson and newcomer Billydee Williams added the tally, making it 135-18 at the buzzer.

The final score from A Giving Heart Community Center in Allentown. 

Antonio Reddic, Sr. led the Yellow Jackets with 30 points, and Kenny Holmes, who had 42 last week, added 26. Claude Scott posted 22 points and Brandon Franklin scored 16. Gilmore Cummings hit an incredible three treys in the opening moments and another in the second quarter for 12. Tim Jackson had 10, James Jackson 8, Jason Arrington and Billydee Williams each had 4 and Brandon Johnson had a three-pointer in the 4th quarter.

Ralph Williams had an impressive game and 35 points for Coach Dan Rathmell's club. Brent Williams added 25, John Annan 13 and Joel Patch 12. 

The Northeast Regional Championship Game had been scheduled for Sunday, March 27 at A Giving Heart Community Center; however, the game with the Wyoming Valley Clutch (the team also advanced on Saturday) is now scheduled for next Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Pittsburgh.