NEW YORK, NY - Playing at home for the first time in over a month, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team fell to the University of Saint Joseph, losing to the Blue Jays by a score of 70-66 on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw two players score in double digits. Zevi Samet led the way for the Macs with 16 points, while Roy Itcovichi put up 11 off the bench.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Luke Cronin dominated the glass for YU, pulling down a personal best nine rebounds while swatting a block. Jonathan Levy also had a career day, tallying three steals on the night.
 
With the result, the Macs are now 4-4.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Defenses dominated early on, with both squads starting out slow, seeing the scoreboard read 7-7 with six minutes into the half. Catalyzed by a Levy layup, the Maccabee offense finally broke the deadlock, embarking on an 11-2 run over five minutes that saw YU up, 18-9. This lead would further grow throughout the half, pushing into double digits at 24-14 thanks to a tough layup from Effy Freundlich.
   
• Saint Joseph would rebound somewhat, pushing the margin between the two teams back into single digits. However, bolstered by impressive scoring performances from Samet and Max Zakheim, the Macs sported a comfortable 34-25 edge going into halftime.
   
• The Blue Jays immediately sliced into YU's advantage come the second half, leveling the field at 42-all just five minutes into the period. A three-point play from Yoav Oselka allowed YU to briefly recapture their edge, only for a deep USJ three to eliminate the lead entirely at 47-45.
   
• Down but undeterred, the Maccabees fought back, reclaiming the advantage at 48-47 off of a deep three from Or Sundjyvsky. This pendulum swing would kick off four lead changes over the following two minutes, finally settling at a scoreline of 55-55 with 7:25 remaining. While the Blue Jays went on to recapture and maintain a lead, stretching it out as far as seven points at 68-61, YU's offense kept the men in blue and white competitive down to the final seconds of play.
   
• Trailing by just four points at 68-64 in the waning seconds of regulation, the Maccabees capitalized on a missed USJ free throw, perfectly executing a transition layup to cut their deficit to two at 68-66. The Blue Jays then fumbled the inbound pass, giving the Macs possession with four seconds remaining. Unfortunately, Yeshiva also struggled getting the ball in play, passing the rock out of bounds and extinguishing YU's comeback hopes. When the final horn sounded, the Maccabees had fallen, 70-66, their closest loss so far this season.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Samet (16), Itcovichi (11), Zakheim (9)
• Assists: Samet (4), Sundjyvsky (3), Zakheim (2), Levy (2), Cronin (2), Oselka (2)
• Rebounds: Cronin (9), Oselka (5), Samet (4), Levy (4), Freundlich (4)
• Steals: Levy (3), Oselka (2), Sundjyvsky (2)
• Blocks: Cronin (1), Freundlich (1)

 
UP NEXT
Playing one more game before the new year, the Maccabees will host Wesleyan University on Monday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 PM.