FARMINGDALE, NY - Competing in the Skyline Conference Championship for the first time since February of 2022, the Yeshiva men's basketball team were defeated by Farmingdale State College, losing by a score of 87-68 on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Offensively.
Or Sundjyvsky led the way for the Maccabees, with the junior guard saving one of his best performances of the year for its biggest game, dropping 22 points and six rebounds on the Rams. Also posting scoring totals in the double digits,
Zevi Samet and
Max Zakheim had solid outings of their own, each tallying 12 points.
On top of their scoring production, Sundjyvsky and Zakheim led the team on the defensive end of the ball as well. Sundjyvsky proved a towering presence in both the paint and on the perimeter, snagging two steals and swatting down a block, while the speedy Zakheim led his YU teammates in steals with three.
The Maccabees close out an exceptional 2023-24 season with a 16-12 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams came out of the gate swinging, trading buckets back and forth over the first three minutes of play. A deep Zakheim three complimented by a hard won layup from Dothan Bardichev ensured Yeshiva a stout presence in the game, seeing the score read 6-5 with 16:54 remaining in the half.
- Farmingdale were able to find some breathing room over the ensuing possessions, yet YU never let them feel too comfortable, keeping the margin between the two squads in the single digits thanks to the firepower of Sundjyvsky, Samet and Gabriel Landau.
- However, with 5:45 remaining in the half, the Rams managed to outpace the Maccabee resistance, cracking the previously elusive double-digit barrier for the first time. This gap would persist through the rest of the period, as once the halftime horn sounded, Yeshiva went into the locker room down, 50-37.
- Seemingly emboldened by Head Coach Elliot Stenimetz's halftime speech, the Macs roared into the second half firing on all cylinders, shrinking their deficit down to just five over the first three and a half minutes of the period.
- This trend was not to last though, as despite stellar shooting from Samet, Zakheim and Sundjyvsky, Yeshiva simply could not match Farmingdale's relentless attack. The Rams forcefully re-established their hold on the game, ballooning their lead out to as many as 24 points. Jumpers from Ben Haber and Jacob Rodin in the final minute of play sliced FSC's advantage back down to 19, yet the contest was already out of reach, as Yeshiva ultimately fell by a score of 87-68.
MAC LEADERS
- Points: Sundjyvsky (22), Samet (12), Zakheim (12)
- Assists: Samet (3), Zakheim (2), Bardichev (2), Markovich (2), Itcovichi (2)
- Rebounds: Sundjyvsky (6), Samet (5), Zakheim (4)
- Steals: Zakheim (3), Sundjyvsky (2), Bardichev (1), Baynash (1)
- Blocks: Sundjyvsky (1), Bardichev (1), Oselka (1)
