Steel City Yellow Jackets Lose In Semi-Finals Reddic Retires, 143-124

The 2022-2023 season ends for the Steel City Yellow Jackets. Photo by Thomas Leturgey. 

By Thomas Leturgey

The American Basketball Association (ABA) will have a new National Champion in 2023.

The Steel City Yellow Jackets, who had not played a game since February 19, were not able to defeat a fully-staffed Burning River Buckets team for a third time this season. The game, which was tight for three quarters, unraveled in the fourth and the Yellow Jackets were defeated for only the third time this season, 143-124.

It was 41 days ago that the Yellow Jackets won their last contest, and three games were canceled by the league. The Yellow Jackets ended the regular season 14-2 and poised with a bye into the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, the 12-4 Burning River Buckets, who lost two games to the Yellow Jackets in one home-and-away weekend last November. The team from Cleveland only got stronger and healthier. They earned their way into the playoffs and defeated the always-tough Ohio Bruins to face off against Ace Pippens’ club.

There were questions about players such as Artis Cleveland and Ryan Montoya, who hadn’t been with the club. Pippens was always in negotiations with those players. Even Kenny Holmes, who had excelled in Pittsburgh, fulfilled a contractual obligation to return to Newfoundland with a team there. He played some games there, but leading up to this game, he announced on social media that his time with the Rogues was over. Cleveland and Montoya returned for Saturday’s April 1 game; Holmes–who was the Most Valuable Player of last year’s Elite 8 playoffs–did not.

An hour before Saturday’s contest, Timothy and James Jackson were on the court, warming up. The twins were both named to the “All ABA” first team earlier this week. ABA Owner Joe Newman was unsure if they are the first All-Star twins in the league’s 23-year history. He noted that two brothers once played in Mobile, Alabama, but he wasn’t sure if they were twins.

And just like prior to last year’s finals, Justin Hamilton was shooting free throws in an attempt to strengthen his overall game. 

Cleveland, who had a bone spur in his foot from a game in Pittsburgh some time ago, checked in to say he was ready to play. Montoya prowled the court, dribbling basketballs with each hand. 

At 6:08 p.m., nearly an hour before tip-off, the Burning River Buckets arrived, eager to play. According to President and General Manager George Phillips, the squad was at full-strength. Especially when the team played in Pittsburgh last year, they did not have a full complement of players. The Yellow Jackets defeated the suburban Cleveland–Willoughby, Ohio–crew 142-89.

Things weren’t going to be that easy this time for the Yellow Jackets. 

James Jackson, who had one of his best games of the season, started things off on the right foot with a three-pointer as soon as the game got started. The Burning River Buckets’ Anthony Coleman answered with a two-point jumper. James Jackson would go on to score 13 points in the first quarter, commanded the early going. Tone Reddic, Sr., who started this playoff affair, got into the game with a three-pointer. Coleman and Martell Medley, were off to a quick start as well.

It’s interesting to note that the officials assessed the Burning River Buckets with an “administrative” foul from the outset. Medley, who was identified as wearing number 2 in the program, donned a number 0 for the game. That really had no bearing in the contest as the game wore on favorably for him.

“This is going to be a game,” Burning Rivers’ Phillips said at the outset. And it was. Both teams played full-court pressure. It was a tactic that served the Yellow Jackets well throughout much of the season, but the Buckets played lock, step and barrel. 

James Jackson, Reddic, and Claude Scott, Jr. were among those who continued to apply early pressure, keeping the Yellow Jackets ahead 31-21 with 4:32 to go in the quarter. Head coach Patrick Koenig called a time out for his team. Justin Fritts and Dylan Contento came on strong, pulling within 36-34.

Gilmore Cummings hit a three-pointer to make it 42-37, but the team from Ohio would not go away. At the end of the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets held onto a slim, 42-40 lead.

The score would be tied at 42 seconds after the bell rang, as Medley scored. Brandon Johnson would score for the home team, but Medley wouldn’t go away. He and Contento would lead a charge that would give the Burning River Buckets a 50-47 lead. Contento and Reddic would trade scores and tie things up at 52.

The visitors would go on to a five point lead with 8:03 to go in the quarter, but then got sloppy. An alley-oop to Scott trimmed the lead to 60-58.

Fritts hit a three-pointer, but so did Gilmore Cummings. Reddic went coast-to-coast to tie things up with 5:21 in the half. Eric Seifert and Contento responded, and put the opposition up by five points. 

Scott, James Jackson and Justin Hamilton came on strong in the closing minutes, but it was Reddic who scored on a three-pointer to time the game 76-76 at the half.

Gabe Kynard scored in the opening moments of the third quarter, but the Yellow Jackets would answer. Justin Hamilton, who at times looked more determined at any point of the season, and the Jackson twins scored. With about nine minutes to go, the Yellow Jackets had regained the lead, 82-80. 

Medley and Kynard put on the pressure and they needed it as James Jackson continued to keep the Yellow Jackets close. Claude Scott would score to put the defending ABA champions within one, but Burning River pulled away. As the minutes, and seconds, wore down, the Yellow Jackets pulled close. Artis Cleveland his a sky hook to make it 101-103, and then he scored again to tie the score at 103. Medley scrambled and made a shot as the seconds wound down to pull ahead 105-103.

The Yellow Jackets would never regain the lead.

As the game transitioned from the third to fourth quarter, Pippens called out strategy, but unfortunately, the die had been cast. Fritts and Seifert came out strong during the final 12 minutes, making the score 115-104 in a flash. 

Reddic kept moving forward, as did the rest of the club; however, shots simply didn’t fall and the Burning River Buckets never waivered. 

As the game got out of hand, the Burning River Buckets, who are set to play again at A Giving Heart Community Center for a 4 p.m. matinee, waited out the clock.

The Yellow Jackets dream of repeating as ABA National Champions have been dashed. The North Central Region will be represented by a team from Ohio as the Kings are set to visit Sunday afternoon.

Martel Medley and James Jackson each led their respective teams with 33 points. Justin Fritts had 29, Eric Seifert 23, and Gabe Kynard 20 for the Burning River Buckets.

After Jackson, Tone Reddic, Sr. had 27, Brandon Johnson 19, Tim Jackson and Gilmore Cummings each with 10, Claude Scott 9, Justin Hamilton and Artis Cleveland each with six, Ryan Montoya 3 and Amaru Caldwell 2. 

Following the game, Center Brandon Burnett said he would move on from Pittsburgh, and Captain Tone Reddic, Sr., a sure-bet first-ballot inductee if the Yellow Jackets ever create a Hall of Fame, announced his retirement from the ABA.