Yellow Jackets Navigate Back To Win Column Over Aviators

 

Steel City Yellow Jackets guard Tayon English. Photo courtesy of Raymond Durkin.

By Thomas Leturgey

One week after a rare, 113-109 loss at home to the Number 2 ranked Buffalo Extreme, the American Basketball Association (ABA) Steel City Yellow Jackets hit the road to nearby Akron to face off against the Aviators. This was a showdown in the Central Region’s Blue Division of the ABA.

Last week’s game saw tension following the game, as the Yellow Jackets have had a harder-than-usual beginning to their season. There have been controversial games that has forced the club to nearly “run the table” if they want to return to post-season play.

Despite some wintery conditions, the Yellow Jackets made the 110-mile trek to Akron, ready to play.

Ace Pippens’ team raced to a 27-17 first quarter lead before settling into a 63-40 advantage at the end of the first half.

Guard Tayon English, who has become one the team’s leading three-point shooters scored 22 points in the first half with “The Silent Assassin” Jay Washington coming in with 17 points.

Forward Justin Hamilton continues to improve exponentially under the net with rebounds. Fellow forward Cliff McNair saw more playing time and contributed. Added to that was the return of forward Dominic McClung who returned to the team after missing time due to a stomach virus.

The Yellow Jackets turned on the jets in the second half with 40 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Guard Kenny Holmes, who has been reliable, but not the 45-point machine of previous campaigns, added 13 in the third quarter.

According to Yellow Jackets staffer Arianna Rosemond, all the aforementioned forwards have exemplary games. McClung was in foul trouble with four.

At the end of the game, it was 143-96, Yellow Jackets.

English led all scorers with 42, with Washington adding 27, Job Brown with 22 and Holmes 19. Hamilton, McClung and McNair all contributed 11 each. It’s unusual for all of the players to score in double digits. Terrance Holloway, Theo Braddy Jr. and Cordell Nicola didn’t make the trip for various reasons.

Aden Nuradin, Akron’s leading scorer, led the Aviators with 31 points.

The win put the Yellow Jackets at 3-2. The weather and other developments have put Pittsburgh behind other teams that have already played 8 and 9 games this season. The #9 ranked Indiana Lyons are 11-2.

The Yellow Jackets are set to return to the Allentown neighborhood within the city of Pittsburgh for their next game sometime in January.


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