NEW YORK, NY - Capturing their third consecutive conference win, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down St. Joseph's University Long Island, defeating the Golden Eagles by a score of 91-81.
 
Max Zakheim both literally and metaphorically put the team on his back, tallying a stat line of 34 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. His point total set a new season best, coming just three shy of a career high.
 
Also proving his proficiency with the rock, Zevi Samet rattled in 22 points, shooting 7-16 on the night.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Effy Freundlich came up big for the Maccabees, snagging three steals and swatting a block over 23 minutes of play off the bench.
 
With the win, the Macs are now 8-7, 5-1 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Maccabees fell behind early, trailing by 12 at 18-6 six minutes into the game. A jumper from Jonathan Levy finally broke the double-digit point barrier for the men in blue and white, but did little towards the effort of catching a dangerous SJLI attack, with the Golden Eagles pushing their lead to 13 at 36-23 with 6:19 remaining in the period.
   
• While buckets from Yoav Oselka, Roy Itcovichi, Dothan Bardichev, Samet and Zakheim over the final six minutes of the half slashed the YU deficit back down into single digits, the Macs still entered the break in a 45-37 hole.
   
• SJLI reaffirmed their hold on the contest at the beginning of the second half, going up by as many as 15 points at 65-50 with 12:00 left in regulation. However, 10 straight points from Zakheim over four minutes of gametime completely rewrote the script on the matchup, dragging a previously struggling Mac offense to within six points of their conference foe at 70-64.
   
• Catalyzed by Zakheim's Herculean effort, Yeshiva continued to press, cutting within four points, then two, then one, until a deep three from Samet put YU up, 74-73, the Macs' first lead of the game. While SJLI would briefly swing the pendulum back in their direction on the next possession, Yeshiva recaptured the lead just 30 seconds later off an Itcovchi tip-in, an advantage they would not surrender through the rest of the contest.
   
• Over the final six minutes of play, Yeshiva proved firmly in control, with baskets from Samet, Zakheim and Freundlich rocketing the Maccabee edge out to 10 at 89-79. An utterly depleted SJLI squad had no answers for YU's roaring comeback, with the Macs celebrating their 91-81 win before the clock hit zero.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Zakheim (34), Samet (22), Oselka (9)
• Assists: Cronin (7), Samet (4), Zakheim (2), Oselka (2), Freundlich (2), Itcovichi (2), Levy (2)
• Rebounds: Cronin (7), Zakheim (7), Oselka (7)
• Steals: Freundlich (4), Zakheim (3), Oselka (2), Samet (2)
• Blocks: Freundlich (1), Cronin (1)

 
UP NEXT
Hitting the road to take on SJLI's Brooklyn counterpart, the Maccabees will travel to St. Joseph's University Brooklyn on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 8:00 PM.