NEW YORK, NY - Taking on the No.1 seed in the conference, the Yeshiva women's basketball team fell to Manhattanville College, losing to the Valiants by a score of 65-53 on Thursday, Feb. 15.
 
Before what was to be their final home game, the team took the time to honor their seniors, saying goodbye to Shai Rahamim, Yuval Nitzan, Daniella Bessler and Nina Yurovsky.
 
On a night set aside to celebrate seniors, the Maccabees were rightly helmed offensively by a duo from the graduating class, as Nitzan and Rahamim posted 19 and 12 points respectively.
 
Showing that the future is in good hands, freshman Fortune Hanan had an excellent outing on the defensive end, swatting down a pair of blocks while pulling down five rebounds.
 
With the loss, the Macs are now 8-16, 6-13 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yeshiva jumped out to an early lead behind buckets from Rahamim and Nitzan, putting seven points on the scoreboard before Manhattanville had a chance to answer. While the Valiant were able to finally splash in some baskets of their own, even briefly taking the lead with 11 seconds left in the first quarter, a deep buzzer-beating three from Rahamim snatched back the advantage for YU, as the women in blue and white went into the break up 13-11 on the best team in the conference.
   
• The Maccabee lead held strong through the first four minutes of play in the second period, staving off the ferocious Valiant attack thanks to the shooting of Rahamim and Jasmin Maly-Danker. However, through the back half of the period, YU would begin to run out of steam, seeing Manhattanville take back the edge and jack it up to ten at 32-22 by the time the halftime horn sounded.
   
• Looking to fight back but unable to chip away at the hole they found themselves in, the Macs were at the very least able to hold Manhattanville's lead steady, closing out the third quarter down 14 at 46-32.
   
• While buckets from Maly-Danker and Nitzan were able to drop Yeshiva's deficit back into the single digits near the end of the fourth quarter, Manhattanville's lead proved to be insurmountable, as the Macs ultimately fell by a score of 65-53.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Nitzan (19), Maly-Danker (16), Rahamim (12)
• Assists: Maly-Danker (3), Rahamim (2), Nitzan (1), Fortune (1), Yolkut (1)
• Rebounds: Yolkut (6), Maly-Danker (5), Fortune (5), Rashty (5)
• Steals: Nitzan (4), Rahamim (2), Yolkut (1)
• Blocks: Fortune (2), Yolkut (1), Rahamim (1)

 
UP NEXT
Playing in the final game of the season, the Macs will travel to Manhattanville College on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 12:00 PM.