NEW YORK, NY - Seeing a number of key players sidelined by injury, the Yeshiva men's basketball team were downed by Hope College, losing to the Flying Dutchmen by a score of 87-79 on Thursday, Dec. 28.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees were carried by two excellent performances from Max Zakheim and Zevi Samet, with Zakheim putting up a statline of 30 points, seven rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Samet notched 26 points, one assist, one rebound and one steal.
 
While their teammates ran the offense, Dothan Bardichev and Effy Freundlich ran the defense. Freundlich tallied a season high mark of two blocks and a steal, while Bardichev swiped three steals and a block of his own.
 
With the loss, the Macs are now 9-6 on the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A deep three from Adi Markovich kicked off the first-half scoring, with Yeshivas total growing to six early on thanks to a foul shot from Samet and a tough layup from Zakheim. Despite this early YU advantage, Hope would come surging back, taking their first lead of the game at 8-6 with 15:47 remaining.
   
• Not deterred by the pendulum swing, the Macs fought back, never allowing the Dutchmen more than a four point edge, and ultimately leveling the game at 16-all just over seven minutes into the half.
   
• A Freundlich layup gave YU back their lead at 18-16, but only for a brief moment, as a Hope run secured the Dutchman the advantage for the rest of the period. While they could not crack Hope's hold on the game, Yeshiva kept the contest close, even managing to level the playing field once again, this time at 36-all off of a layup from Jacob Rodin. Thanks to an excellently drawn foul from Zakheim and two subsequent made foul shots, the men in blue and white went into the half down just 40-38.
   
• Come the second half, the Macs continued to press their opponent, denying Hope any chance at going up by more than five points. Finally seeing a crack in the glass, Yeshiva smashed through, seizing their first lead in over 15 minutes at 51-50 off of a fast break Zakheim layup.
   
• Proving evenly matched, both squads went basket for basket over the next five minutes, seeing the advantage change hands seven different times over that stretch. Ultimately though, Hope would come out on top, securing a lead with 11:17 left to play that would last them through the end of the contest.
   
• Yeshiva would continue to fight, relying on the offense of Zakheim and Samet to keep the Dutchmen within reach. However, despite tying the game at 71-all and drawing within two points three times in the final six minutes, YU simply could not break through Hope's grasp on the match. Once the final horn sounded, the Macs left Max Stern having fallen by a score of 87-79.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Zakheim (30), Samet (26), Freundlich (9)
• Assists: Markovich (6), Bardichev (6), Freundlich (3)
• Rebounds: Zakheim (7), Bardichev (5), Itcovichi (5)
• Steals: Bardichev (3), Zakheim (2), Itcovichi (1), Freundlich (1), Markovich (1), Samet (1)
• Blocks: Freundlich (2), Bardichev (1)
   

UP NEXT
Picking up play again in the new year, the Macs will travel out to Immaculata University in Eastern Pennsylvania on Thursday, Jan. 18.