Steel City Yellow Jackets Journal

The Steel City Yellow Jackets celebrate after winning 116-103 Saturday night. Photo by Thomas Leturgey. By Thomas Leturgey The Steel City Yellow Jackets (2-1) got back on the winning track Saturday Night in Pittsburgh, but it did not come easy, 116-103 over the Columbus Wizards. It also appears that the Pittsburgh’ entry in the American Basketball Association (ABA) may have a new star shooting guard among its midst. On the strength of 14 points in the fourth quarter, Jay Washington lead all Yellow Jackets with 34. The Wizards came to play with a strong starting lineup. All five starters—Jay Farrow, Allante Gorham, RJ Fairrow, Phil Bledsoe Jr. and Branden Wilkins played key roles in keeping the game close all evening. That to that, sixth man Sean Rogers and Columbus brought a formidable team against Ace Pippen’s club. Job Brown and Kenny Holmes brought they Yellow Jackets up the court in the early going, and Jay Washington provided pivotal play. The Yellow Jackets led througho...

by Thomas Leturgey The Steel City Yellow Jackets are looking forward to having Libby's Chicken after this Saturday night's game at A Giving Heart Community Center. Ace Pippen's team traveled to Buffalo last weekend and were struck with their first loss of the season against the Extreme, 95-81. Guard Kenny Holmes led the Yellow Jackets with 24 points, while fellow guard Job Brown posted 19. Terrance Holloway added 17, Jay Washington had 10, Justin Hamilton 7 and Clifton McNair contributed with four. Team officials say that the college-style red, white and blue basketball the Extreme provided for the game felt off, and the shooting for both teams might have suffered. After the first quarter, both teams only had 14 points. Even Holmes wasn't immune to errant air balls. The visiting Yellow Jackets did gain a lead in the game, but in the final quarter, the Extreme gained the lead and continued to extend until the final buzzer. "We shot the ball horribly," Pippens w...

Head Coach Ace Pippens instructs the Yellow Jackets before their season opener last week. Photo by Assistant Coach Charles Cook. by Thomas Leturgey The American Basketball Association (ABA) #20 ranked Steel City Yellow Jackets are on the road Saturday afternoon, November 9 to take on the #11 ranked Buffalo eXtreme. The 3-hour, 218-mile trek is the first road odyssey for Ace Pippen's club, after its 166-68 win over the Port Huron Cougars last weekend. "It will take a team effort and relentless defense to win this game," wrote Pippens in an email. "We must rebound the basketball." If there was an issue with an explosive 98-point win, it was with rebounding. Pippens was frustrated especially early in the contest when missed shots weren't finding their way into the tallest group of forwards perhaps in the team's 10-year history. Jay Washington, Theo Braddy Jr. and Cordell Nicola all join an experienced Yellow Jackets squad with Dominick McClung and Justin Ha...

Steel City Yellow Jackets head coach Ace Pippens addresses his team after their 166-68 win. Photos by Thomas Leturgey By Thomas Leturgey At the very beginning of the Steel City Yellow Jackets vs. Port Huron Cougars game, the home team looked to be on its heels. A large crowd was on hand to watch the American Basketball Association (ABA) team return to A Giving Heart Community Center after a one-year hiatus. Port Huron’s Aron “Skeez” Smith and Rob Robinson jumped ahead to a 4-0 lead with about a minute and a half in the game. Steel City newcomer Jay Washington hit a jumper, was fouled and connected on a free throw to get Ace Pippens’ team on the scoreboard. The Cougars’ Xander Mylan answered with a shot to extend the Michigan team’s lead to 6-3. And then the Yellow Jackets’ Kenny Holmes got the ball. He hit a three pointer and tied the game 6-6 with 8:17 to go in the quarter. Another newcomer at guard, Job Brown, hit his first jumper in Black and Gold. The Yellow Jackets extended th...