NEW YORK, NY - Surpassing 100 points for the first time this season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down the University of Mount Saint Vincent, cruising past the Dolphins by a score of 112-75 on Sunday, Jan. 5.
 
Offensively the Maccabees saw three players score in double digits. Zevi Samet led the way with another sky-scraping performance, tallying 28 points on 9-14 shooting, including 4-7 from beyond the arc. Also proving their proficiency with the rock, Roy Itcovichi put up a season-high 17 points, while big man Yoav Osleka notched 13.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Luke Cronin lived up to his 6'8" billing, pulling down 11 rebounds and swatting a block.
 
Benjamin Lasry scored the first bucket of his YU career against the Dolphins, draining a layup in the closing minutes of the contest to end the game with two points.
 
With the win, the Macs are now 5-6, 2-0 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yeshiva jumped out to an early edge to kick off the first half, leading 15-5 after seven minutes of play thanks to seven points from Itcovichi. While UMSV would fight back, shrinking YU's margin down to five at 15-10, the Dolphins could not usurp the hold the Macs had already established on the contest.
   
• The Maccabee lead would grow back out into double-digits thanks to buckets from Effy Freundlich and Samet, a margin that would last not only through the rest of the half, but the rest of the game. Yeshiva went into the break sporting a comfortable 51-36 advantage.
   
• YU's edge only grew come the second half, rocketing out past 20 points just six minutes into the period at 67-45. The handles of Tom Beza, Itcovichi, Cronin and Samet completely stifled any hopes UMSV had of staging a comeback, growing the margin between the two squads larger by the shot. By the time Yeshiva's bench unit came in, the Maccabees had secured their largest lead of the season at 36, with the scoreboard reading 96-60.
   
• Despite not sporting the gaudy stats of their teammates, Jonathan Okner, Asher Falk, Yoel Kintzer, Ari Shklyar and Benjamin Lasry picked up the torch for the Macs and ran, carrying YU's point total into the triple digits. By the time the final horn sounded, the Macs had closed out their conference foe, 112-75.
   
• A major factor behind YU's success came on the defensive end. The Maccabees stifled a potent Dolphin offense, holding UMSV's lead scorer, a player who before the game averaged 16.2 points on the season, to just 11.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Samet (28), Itcovichi (17), Oselka (13)
• Assists: Cronin (7), Zakheim (4), Samet (3), Oselka (3), Levy (3)
• Rebounds: Cronin (11), Zakheim (9), Itcovichi (9)
• Steals: Zakheim (3), Itcovichi (1), Oselka (1), Freundlich (1), Beza (1), Falk (1)
• Blocks: Freundlich (1), Cronin (1)

 
UP NEXT
Looking to keep their undefeated conference record alive, the Maccabees will host Sarah Lawrence College, on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 8:00 PM.