NEW YORK, NY – Farmingdale came from behind in regulation and the first overtime to force a second overtime at the MSAC Tuesday night, but the Maccabees scored the first 7 points in the second overtime to take control of the game. Yeshiva outscored their opponent 15-7 in the second overtime, enroute to an 88-80 victory in front of a packed house. The Maccabees improved their record to 8-10 (7-7) while dropping Farmingdale to 9-9 (9-4).

Yeshiva controlled the game for most of the first half, leading by as many as 8 on three separate occasions. The lead changed three times over the final 1:29 of the half, as Farmingdale got the edge 38-37 going into the locker room.

The Macs regained the lead seconds after returning to the court, but just like the end of the first half, the teams battled and gave up the lead on multiple occasions. A three pointer by Chen Biron at the 12:48 mark gave Yeshiva a 5 point lead that they pushed to 7 less than a minute later, but 8 straight points by the Rams sent the lead back to the visitors.

Nursing a two point lead with under 2 minutes to play, an offensive rebound by Dovie Hoffman allowed Yeshiva to keep control of the ball at a crucial point in the game. The Macs capitalized on the second opportunity, getting a layup from Omer Haim to take a 4 point lead. But tough defense and a score in the paint with 10 seconds to go, the visiting Rams forced overtime.

The first overtime (5 minutes) mimicked the final five minutes of regulation, as Yeshiva once again built a 4 point lead with 2 minutes to play on two free throws from Martin Leibovich. The Rams cut the lead in half with 1:08 showing, and on the ensuing possession the Macs turned the ball over by stepping out of bounds on a baseline drive. That turnover setup Farmingdale to once again come from 4-behind to tie the game, sending the teams into the second overtime period.

The second overtime proved to be all Yeshiva, as the Macs opened with a 9-2 run and never looked back. Haim's free throw with 1:16 to play proved to be the game winning point, although the Macs went on to score 7 more, all from the free throw line. Farmingdale made only two field goals (both threes) in the second overtime.

Leibovich led all scorers with 25 points, and also continued his double-double streak with 14 rebounds (4 straight). He also had 5 assists and 4 steals. Chen Biron followed with 21 points, connecting on 5 shots from behind the arc. Omer Haim finished with 16, and Alex Claster had 15. The Macs shot 47% from the field for the game, and 71% from the line.

Yeshiva will host St. Joseph's on Thursday at 8PM for their second of three straight home games.