KINGS POINT - Closing out a four game road stint at a conference rival, the Yeshiva women's basketball team were downed by the United States Merchant Marine Academy, losing to the Mariners by a score of 72-59.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw four double-digit scorers, with Daniella Bessler and Jasmin Maly-Danker leading the way with 17 each, while Shai Rahamim and Yuval Nitzan put up 13 and 10 respectively.
 
With 12 rebounds on top of her already impressive mark of 17 points, Bessler secured a double-double up in Kings Point, her seventh of the season.
 
At nine rebounds and nine assists, Nitzan fell just short of a triple-double, needing one more of each for a milestone that would have been the team's first of the season.
 
On the defensive end, Bessler, Rahamim and Nitzan all swiped three steals, while Rahamim also recorded a block on the night.
 
With the loss, the Macs are now 5-8, 4-5 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• While the Macs were able to keep things close through the first three minutes of the opening quarter, seeing the scoreboard read 2-2, the Mariners quickly pulled away, leading by as many as 14 points at 19-5 with 2:36 remaining. Three straight buckets from Maly-Danker and Rahamim to close out the period scraped YU back into contention somewhat, yet the Macs still went into the break trailing, 21-12.
   
• Keeping their late momentum alive, the Maccabees continued to push at the start of the second quarter, tying the game at 25-all before taking their first lead of the matchup at 27-25 off of a Nitzan jumpshot. While that margin would not last, the YU offensive output kept the women in blue firmly in the contest, with both squads jockeying for position through the final five minutes of the half. Once the horn sounded, Yeshiva trailed 36-33, falling victim to a late Mariner surge.
   
• The Macs would fail to recapture their lead in the third quarter, only getting within five points of their opponent once at the very beginning. At the end of the ten minutes, Yeshiva's deficit had increased to 10 at 57-47.
   
• Despite a hard fight, YU simply ran out of gas in the final period, and could not match the USMMA attack. Seeing themselves outscored 15-12 in quarter number four, the Maccabees left Kings Point with a loss, having been defeated by a score of 72-59.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Bessler (17), Maly-Danker (17), Rahamim (13), Nitzan (10)
• Assists: Nitzan (9), Bessler (3), Rahamim (2)
• Rebounds: Bessler (12), Nitzan (8), Maly-Danker (8)
• Steals: Bessler (3), Rahamim (3), Nitzan (3)
• Blocks: Rahamim (1)

 
UP NEXT
Returning to the Arc Arena for their penultimate game of 2023, the Macs will play host to Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 PM.