NEW YORK, NY - Playing in their first home game in nearly a month, the Yeshiva women's basketball team fell to St. Joseph's University Brooklyn, losing to the Bears by a score of 76-73 on Sunday, Dec. 3.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw a monster game from Yuval Nitzan, with the graduate student putting up a season high mark of 33 points while also notching six rebounds and four assists on the afternoon. Also pulling their weight, Sara Yolkut, Shai Rahamim and Jasmin Maly-Danker all tallied double-digit point totals, posting 15, 10 and 10 respectively.
 
On top of her absurd offensive production, Nitzan also had an excellent game on defense, securing a statline of three steals and two blocks, while Daniella Bessler led the team in steals at four. At the same time, Yolkut locked down the backboard for YU, tallying a career best 16 rebounds in what was by far the best showing of her young Maccabee career.
 
With the loss, the Macs are 2-6, 2-4 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• While five quick points gave the Bears an early advantage, the Macs responded in kind, leveling the playing field at 5-all just over two minutes into the contest. A Yolkut basket thirty seconds later would give Yeshiva their first lead of the game, jumping out in front of SJBK, 7-5.
   
• Both squads continued trading blows over the remainder of the quarter, seeing the score tied three more times at 7-all, 9-all and 11-all. While the Bars were able to secure a small four-point lead, a late Nitzan layup closed it to just two, with the Maccabees ending the quarter trailing 19-17.
   
• Picking up right where she left off, Nitzan nailed a dagger of a three just seconds into the second period, giving the Macs their second lead of the game at 20-19. This advantage would not last however, as SJBK would proceed to outscore Yeshiva by a margin of 22-9 over the rest of the quarter, dropping the Maccabees in a 41-29 hole come the halftime break.
   
• Both offenses would struggle come the start of the second half, as each side managed just three points through the first four minutes of play. Seemingly spurred on by three made free throws from Nitzan however, the Maccabee offense finally shook off its rust, slicing into its deficit thanks to sharpshooting from Nitzan and paint domination from Yolkut. By the time buzzer sounded marking the end of the third quarter, YU trailed by just four, a margin that would have been one save a last second heave from SJBK rattling in.
   
• While two Bear triples managed to hold off YU's attack, the Maccabee freight train proved unstoppable, seizing their first lead since the second quarter at 63-62 thanks to a tough layup from Maly-Danker. Back-to-back threes from Nitzan only grew Yeshiva's margin, ballooning it out to seven at 69-62 with 4:34 left in regulation.
   
• Despite these efforts however, SJBK fought back, managing to tie the game at 71-all, and then take back the lead for themselves, this time conclusively. While two clutch Rahamim free throws ignited hopes of a last-chance shocker by getting the Macs within two with 27 seconds remaining, it was not to be, as Nitzan's final shot rimmed out and the Macs lost, 76-73.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Nitzan (33), Yolkut (15), Rahamim (10), Maly-Danker (10)
• Assists: Rahamim (7), Nitzan (4), Bessler (3)
• Rebounds: Yolkut (16), Bessler (11), Maly-Danker (8)
• Steals: Bessler (4), Nitzan (3), Rahamim (2)
• Blocks: Nitzan (2)

 
UP NEXT
Staying home for their second home game in three days, the Macs will host The City College of New York on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 PM.