PURCHASE, NY - Taking on their first Skyline opponent of the season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down Purchase College, defeating the Panthers by a score of 66-50 on Sunday, Dec. 15.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw two players score in double digits, with Max Zakheim leading the way with 19, while Zevi Samet tallied 15.
 
Zakheim also had a stellar game on the defensive side of the ball, putting up a stat line of seven rebounds, three steals and one block on the afternoon.
 
With the win, the Maccabees snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 4-3, 1-0 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both squads traded baskets back and forth to kick off the first half, seeing the lead change hands four times through the first eight minutes of play. It wasn't until a layup from Or Sundjyvsky ignited a run that the Maccabees were finally able to break away, with a 13-0 stretch skyrocketing YU's advantage out to 23-11 with 7:04 remaining in the period.
   
• Scoring from Roy Itcovichi, Samet, Zakheim and Sundjyvksy only grew that margin through the waning minutes of the half, with the Macs going into the break sporting a comfortable 36-18 lead.
   
• Purchase's offense surged through the first eight minutes of the second half, cutting into Yeshiva's edge, but was unable to erase the double-digit Maccabee advantage, with YU leading 41-31 with 11:49 remaining.
   
• While the Panthers managed to briefly dip the margin between the two squads into the single digits, drawing within six points at 44-38 for the first time since the beginning of the first half, buckets from Zakheim and Samet quickly rectified the situation, firmly reestablishing YU's hold on the game at 51-40 with 6:39 left on the scoreboard.
   
• A Maccabee attack that had been hot all game continued their scoring streak through the remainder of the period, surging YU's lead back out past 15 points. A final tough Samet layup put a cap on YU's dominant performance, with Yeshiva walking out of their conference rival's gym with a 66-50 win, and a 1-0 Skyline record.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Zakheim (19), Samet (15), Cronin (9), Sundjyvsky (9)
• Assists: Zakheim (4), Itcovichi (3), Samet (2), Sundjyvsky (2)
• Rebounds: Cronin (8), Levy (8), Zakheim (7), Itcovichi (7)
• Steals: Zakheim (3), Samet (2), Itcovichi (1), Sundjyvsky (1)
• Blocks: Zakheim (1), Cronin (1), Freundlich (1)

 
UP NEXT
Playing their first home game in over a month, the Maccabees will host the University of Saint Joseph on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8:00 PM.