NEW YORK, NY - Truly defining the phrase "putting the team on your back,"
Zevi Samet carried the Yeshiva men's basketball team to victory over Skyline rival Purchase College, downing the Panthers by a score of 87-76.
Samet led the way offensively for the Maccabees, putting up a statline of 31 points, three assists and three rebounds on the night, fully embracing the role of YU's offensive juggernaut in the absence of his injured co-star
Max Zakheim.
Also having excellent games, three other Macs tallied double-digit performances, with
Effy Freundlich (15),
Roy Itcovichi (14) and
Dothan Bardichev (14) all proving lethal both in the paint and from beyond the arc.
As Samet was busy setting the world ablaze on offense, captain
Adi Markovich held down the fort defensively from Yeshiva, swiping three steals while pulling down five rebounds over 27 minutes of play.
With the win, the Macs are now 11-7, 8-1 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- While quick buckets from Bardichev, Samet, Markovich and Freundlich jumped YU out to an early lead, Purchase was quick to respond, seizing their first advantage of the game with 14:59 remaining, one they would only relinquish once through the rest of the period.
- Yeshiva were able to keep pace with Purchase's high-powered offense over the next ten minutes, yet as both squads proceeded to trade buckets back-and-forth, the Macs could never fully close the gap and recapture the edge.
- Despite their struggles, the Maccabees were finally able to close the gap with just over two minutes remaining. A bucket from Samet set up five consecutive points from Freundlich to seize the lead back for YU at 35-34, their first in nearly 13 minutes. This advantage proved fleeting however, as a quick five points from Purchase went unanswered, and as the halftime horn sounded, Yeshiva trailed once again at 38-35.
- Despite their first half woes, the Macs came into the second swinging. YU swiftly answered an early PU layup with deep threes from Samet and Markovich, taking back the lead within two minutes at 41-40. With Yeshiva's offense finally firing on all cylinders, the advantage began to swing back and forth, changing hands six times in just five minutes.
- Inevitably, Yeshiva broke through for good, with an and-one play from Samet proving the dagger with 11:48 left in regulation, putting the Macs up 55-53. From there, YU proceeded to cement their hold on the game, with their lead hovering around 11 points for the better part of ten minutes. By the time the final bell rang, the Maccabees had thoroughly secured yet another conference "W," walking out of Max Stern with an 87-76 victory.
MAC LEADERS
- Points: Samet (31), Freundlich (15), Itcovichi (14), Bardichev (14)
- Assists: Markovich (6), Bardichev (4), Samet (3)
- Rebounds: Bardichev (7), Markovich (5), Landau (4), Itcovichi (4)
- Steals: Markovich (3), Bardichev (1), Landau (1), Itcovichi (1), Haber (1), Freundlich (1), Rodin (1)
UP NEXT
Closing out the week on the road, the Macs will travel to The College at Old Westbury, on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 12:00 PM.
