Box Score NEW YORK - Senior tri-captain
Dovie Hoffman (Tarzana, Calif.) poured in a game-high 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting and a 4-for-4 display from 3-point range Tuesday night at Max Stern Athletic Center, but it was not enough for the Yeshiva University men's basketball team, which which lost its first game in 25 days by a narrow 50-46 margin to Skyline Conference foe Farmingdale State College.
The host Maccabees (7-7, 4-4 Skyline) were true on six of their 14 attempts beyond the arc, including Hoffman's (six rebounds) four perfect efforts. YU continues to move the ball well offensively, as it registered 13 assists on 15 made field goals -- including a game-best five by junior post player,
Yoni Eckmann (Wynnewood, Pa.) off the bench. Hoffman, Eckmann and junior big man,
Shlomo Weissberg (Skokie, Ill.; game-high-tying nine rebounds) all blocked two shots apiece on defense for Yeshiva, while junior
Benjy Ritholtz (W. Hempstead, N.Y.) chipped in with eight second-half points.
Farmingdale (12-4, 8-1 Skyline) saw Christain Nunez and P.J. Page score 14 and 12 points, respectively, as the Rams held edges in fastbreak points (12-2) and points in the paint (28-8).
Seven consecutive points by Hoffman gave the Maccabees an 11-8 lead with 8:32 left in the first half, before the Rams took the lead for good with 10 straight points in response. FSC pushed its lead to as high as 10 points with 90 seconds left in the frame, before a Hoffman triple and a fastbreak lay-in from sophomore
Netanel Weinstein (Efrat, Israel) preceded a buzzer-beating jumper from the Rams -- who took a 26-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Farmingdale State led by at least five points through most of the first 12 minutes of the second half, before a 7-0 run over a 2:27 stretch brought YU to within a 44-42 count with under five mintues to go. The Macs got a "one and done" defensive stop on their next defensive possession, but committed a shot-clock violation on their next trip up the floor with a chance to tie or take the lead. Page slammed home an alley-oop for the Rams with 3:36 on the clock, before a free throw by Wilson Molina pushed the visitors' edge to 47-42 with 2:52 left.
Ritholtz was fouled beyond the arc on Yeshiva's next possession, and knocked down all three charity-stripe efforts to bring the hosts to within a 47-45 count with 2:19 to go. The two teams exchanged blocked shots on their next respective possessions, before Farmingdale turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation with roughly 47 seconds remaining. YU senior
Gil Bash (Tel Aviv, Israel; four assists, five rebounds, five points) converted one-of-two free throws with 32 seconds remaining, before the Macs had to foul twice to push the Rams into the bonus. Nunez knocked down both of his freebies, before Molina made one of two at the line with under 21 ticks on the clock to effectively ice the game.
Head coach Dr. Jonathan Halpert's Yeshiva side is back in Skyline Conference action Thursday night (Jan. 24), when it travels to Purchase (N.Y.) College for an 8 p.m. tip-off.
