NEW YORK, NY - Playing in their first overtime game of the season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down Manhattanville University, defeating the Valiants by a score of 75-70 on Sunday, Jan. 12.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw three players score in double digits, with Max Zakheim (22), Zevi Samet (20) and Roy Itcovichi (12) helming the YU attack. The trio accounted for 10 of Yeshiva's 12 OT points, as Zakheim and Samet notched four while Itcovichi bagged two.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, big-men Yoav Oselka and Luke Cronin proved dominant in the paint, pulling down 14 and 11 rebounds respectively, a career-best for both players.
 
With the win, the Maccabees improve to 6-7, 3-1 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yeshiva jumped out to an early lead through the first five minutes of play, riding the shooting prowess of Zakheim, Samet and Itcovichi to an 11-4 edge. While Manhattanville would push back, tying the game at both 11-all and 13-all, YU quickly reestablished their hold of the contest, inflating their advantage out to double-digits at 28-18 with 5:45 remaining in the first half.
   
• As the final minutes of the period ticked away the Maccabee margin only grew, as baskets from Itcovichi and Samet outpaced the Manhattanville shooters. By the time the buzzer rang, Yeshiva boasted a comfortable 40-25 lead headed into the break.
   
• Maintaining their first-half momentum, Yeshiva continued to push early in the second, leading by as many as 19 points at 49-30 with 16:20 left on the clock. Yeshiva's double-digit advantage lasted through the first half of the period, undone only by a sudden Valiant explosion that sliced into it, shaving YU's margin down to just eight points 60-52 with 9:49 left.
   
• YU's lead continued to shrink over the following seven minutes of play, with Manhattanville finally drawing the game even at 63-63, the first time the two squads had been level since eight minutes into the first half.
   
• A combined six missed shots between both teams over the final 2:20 of regulation ensured the 63-63 scoreline a seemingly permanent place on the scoreboard, shunting both squads into their first overtime experience of the season.
   
• Yeshiva struck first in OT, as a Samet layup broke the deadlock, giving YU a 65-63 edge just two seconds into extra time. While the pendulum would swing back in favor of the Valiants, as Manhattanville took their first lead at any point in the game at 67-65, four YU points over 45 seconds gave the men in blue and white back the lead for what would be the final time. From there, a 6-2 run over the final two minutes definitively stamped Yeshiva's claim on this instant Skyline classic, with the Maccabees walking out their conference foe's gym with a 75-70 victory.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Zakheim (22), Samet (20), Itcovichi (12)
• Assists: Zakheim (5), Samet (3), Bardichev (3)
• Rebounds: Oselka (14), Cronin (11), Itcovichi (8)
• Steals: Freundlich (2), Zakheim (1), Levy (1), Samet (1)
• Blocks: Bardichev (2), Levy (1)

 
UP NEXT
Kicking off next week on the road, the Maccabees are set to travel to Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8:00 PM.