NEW YORK – It will be a battle of two of the top five teams in Division III men's basketball on Thursday evening as No. 1 Yeshiva University will host No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan University, at the Max Stern Athletic Center, beginning at 8:00 p.m. The Maccabees will aim for its first ever win against a nationally ranked opponent during the D3hoops.com era.

We are allowing spectators at 70 percent capacity for the game, but please arrive early as seating will be at a premium. Spectators must have proof of full vaccination. We are not allowing fans under the age of 12 at this time and this includes babies. Spectators must be fully masked at the game, and this will be strictly enforced. If you do not feel well or have been in close contact with someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19, please do not come to the game.
 
For fans who cannot see the action in person, the game will be televised live on Jewish Life Television. More info can be seen here. As usual, MacsLive will be broadcasting the game which can be accessed at this link. You can also follow the action via our live stats page. Illinois Wesleyan will be providing an audio broadcast of the matchup which can be heard by clicking here. Be sure to print out the game program as well. 
 
Yeshiva (14-0) currently has a 50-game winning streak which is the second longest unbeaten stretch in Division III men's basketball history. SUNY Potsdam won 60 consecutive games from 1985 until 1987. The Maccabees' streak began with a 77-58 victory at California Institute of Technology, back on November 10, 2019. YU's historic win streak includes a Skyline Conference Championship, as well as two victories in the 2019-20 NCAA Tournament to clinch a berth in the Sweet 16 round, before the rest of the postseason was canceled due to the pandemic.
 
The Maccabees currently lead Division III in field-goal percentage (55.6%) and assists per game (23.8).
 
Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) has a lot of experience playing against the best teams in the nation, including a key victory over No. 17 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 65-63, to win the inaugural Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational Championship, back on November 13, 2021. In fact, the Titans have played three nationally ranked opponents already this season. Last year, Illinois Wesleyan topped the country's third-ranked team, and top-seed in its league, Wheaton College on the road by a score of 71-58 to capture the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship.
 
Last time out, Yeshiva was able to hold off New Jersey University on the road, 93-86, to secure its 50^th straight victory, on December 15. Illinois Wesleyan is coming off a hard-fought road loss to No. 15 Washington University in St. Louis, 71-61, back on December 19.
 
This year, Yeshiva is shooting 41.6% from downtown, while Illinois Wesleyan is only allowing opponents to shoot 26.5% from deep. The Macs have also defended the 3-point line well, as the opposition has only converted 26.2% of its shots from beyond the arc so far this season.
 
Both the Maccabees and Titans are among the nation's best in scoring defense this season. Yeshiva is No. 21 in Division III on the defensive end by giving up just 62.6 points per game, while Illinois Wesleyan is tied for 35^th in the country by only allowing 64.0 points per contest.
 
The Maccabees will be led by senior Ryan Turell, who is scoring 29.8 points per game this season, which ranks him No. 2 across all three NCAA divisions. The two-time D3hoops.com First Team All-American is shooting 61.2% from the field in 2021-22. Graduate student Gabriel Leifer is the only player in Division III men's basketball to generate multiple triple-doubles this year. The reigning CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year has scored 1,447 points, grabbed 1,121 rebounds, and has dished out 569 assists during his illustrious career.
 
Junior Ofek Reef, who is the defending Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, is netting 16.9 points per game, and is shooting 64.4% from the field, this season. The Plano native has converted 80.4% of his shots from the charity stripe. Senior Eitan Halpert is scoring 13.7 points per game, on 51.2% shooting from beyond the arc, and leads the team with 27 total steals this year. Graduate student Jordan Armstrong has made a big impact for the Maccabees on the defensive side by blocking 15 shots.
 
Leading the way for the Titans this year has been senior Matthew Leritz, who is averaging a double-double per game with 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. The St. Louis native has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team and been selected as a D3hoops.com All-American during his collegiate career. Classmate Cory Noe is scoring 14.7 points per game. Fourth-year player Peter Lambesis has been strong on both ends of the floor for Illinois Wesleyan as he is scoring 12.1 points per game, while forcing 13 steals and blocking five shots so far this season. Junior Luke Yoder leads the team with 29 assists this year and is tallying 10.1 points per game.
 
Be sure to check out YUmacs.com, as well as our social media channels, for updates regarding the 2021-22 season and the spectator policy.