NEW YORK, N.Y.— The Yeshiva men's basketball team fought valiantly  and overcame a major first half deficit, but lost a heartbreaker in the end as the Maccabees fell to Montclair State 85-83 at the buzzer in a non conference game at the Max Stern Athletic Center Monday evening.
 
With just over six seconds remaining, Benjy Ritholtz tied the game for Yeshiva with a long range jumper from the right wing. Off the made basket Montclair State's Erick Loften-Harris dribbled the length of the court and connected with Devyn Ransom who put in a lay-up just before the buzzer sounded to give the visiting Red Hawks the win. It was the second time Yeshiva has lost at the buzzer this season (YU lost to the College of Mount Saint Vincent on January 22nd via a buzzer beater).
 
The loss leaves Yeshiva at 11-8 overall this season, while Montclair State is now 7-14 on the year.
 
Ritholtz scored a season-high 31 points. He shot 11-for-20 from the field and went 7-for-14 from behind the three point line. Teammate Yisrael Feld scored 16 points off the bench, while Shaje Weiss had 15 points and seven assists for the Maccabees.
 
Montclair State was led by Lavrone Green with 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
 
Montclair State led by as much as 18 in the first stanza and had a 17 point halftime lead at 47-30. During the first twenty minutes, the Red Hawks had outscored Yeshiva 20-2 on points in the paint and held a 16-10 rebounding edge.  Montclair State also shot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) from the field in the first half, while the Maccabees shot 33.3 percent (7-for-21) through the first twenty minutes.
 
The Red Hawks took their biggest lead of the game early in the second half and were up 19 on two occasions. Montclair State's most recent 19-point lead was with 17:56 to go and the Red Hawks ahead 54-35.
 
Yeshiva managed to avoid further damage and the Maccabees stayed within striking range for a ferocious late comeback. Yeshiva still trailed by fourteen and was down 76-62 with just under seven minutes to go before making a late game comeback. The Maccabees used a 17-2 run to come all the way back and take the lead. A pair of free throws by Weiss with 1:42 to play capped the run and Yeshiva was up 79-78.
 
Montclair State retook the lead on a pair of free throws with 1:20 to play on the ensuing possession, then another foul shot with just under a minute to play put the Red Hawks up a pair.
 
Over the game's last eighty seconds, Yeshiva tied the score three times before Montclair State went ahead again. Yeshiva tied the game for the second time with forty-three seconds left on a lay-up by Weiss. Then Ritholtz's jumper with six seconds to go tied it once more before the heartbreaking buzzer beater by the Red Hawks.
 
Yeshiva scored 53 points in the second half and outscored Montclair State 53-38 in the stanza. The Maccabees also, after being dominated inside in the first half, outscored Montclair State 18-16 on points in the paint in the second half. Yeshiva also held a large advantage on points off turnovers in the second half, outscoring the opponent 13-3. The Maccabees shot 69.2 percent (18-for-26) in the second half as well.
 
Yeshiva returns to action on Wednesday for a game at the College of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) at 8 p.m.