NEW YORK, NY - Keeping their unbeaten conference streak going, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team defeated Manhattanville University, taking down the Valiants by a score of 79-67 on Saturday, Dec. 13th.
 
On both sides of the ball, the Maccabees were helmed by a monster performance from Yoav Oselka, as the junior guard tallied his second consecutive double-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
 
Not to be outdone, three other YU players scored in double digits, with Zevi Samet also splashing in 18, while Yair Dovrat and Dothan Bardichev posted 16 and 10 respectively.
 
With the result, the Maccabees are now 3-6, 2-0 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yeshiva jumped out to a fast lead, catalyzed by a lighting-quick Oselka-Dovrat-Max Zakheim connection that netted the Macs their first basket just three seconds into the game. YU rode that momentum out to a five point lead at 9-5, keeping an otherwise potent Manhattanville offense at bay through the first three and a half minutes of play.
   
• Despite Yeshiva's early advantage, the Valiants fought back, using the next two and a half minutes of basketball to close within one at 11-10, before taking their first lead of the contest at 12-11. While the Macs briefly snatched their edge back on the next possession off a layup from Oselka, Manhattanville's shooters established firm control, going up by as many as eight points at 25-17 with 7:47 remaining.
   
• The Maccabees took the pendulum swing in stride, relying on their lethal outside shooting to get them back into the game. Two back-to-back threes from Bardichev slashed YU's deficit to two just over a minute later, and while Manhattanville managed to briefly push the margin back up to seven, the Macs would not stop pressing. A tip-in from Oselka got YU within one at 32-31, before two Samet free throws recaptured Yeshiva's lead, this time permanently. A pair of layups from Dovrat and Roy Itcovichi in the final seconds pushed YU's edge to five, with the men in blue and white headed into the locker room up, 38-33.
   
• Yeshiva's advantage would only grow early in the second half, hitting double digits for the first time two and a half minutes in at 46-35. YU's margin stretched to as many as 15 points at 59-44, and while a subsequent 10-0 Manhattanville run got the Valiants within five with 10:12 remaining in regulation, the visitors would come no closer.
   
• Baskets from Samet, Bardichev, and Joe Schanzer pushed Yeshiva's lead back out to 10 at 66-56 with 5:14 remaining, a margin around which the scoreline would orbit for the final five minutes of play, never stretching lower than seven or higher than 13. When the final buzzer sounded, the Macs walked out of the MSAC with a 79-67 victory.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Oselka (18), Samet (18), Dovrat (16), Bardichev (10)
• Assists: Dovrat (8), Oselka (5), Samet (5)
• Rebounds: Oselka (17), Samet (5), Dovrat (4), Bardichev (4)
• Steals: Oselka (2), Samet (2), Bardichev (2)
• Blocks: Samet (1), Dovrat (1)

 
UP NEXT
Taking on the team that ended YU's legendary 50-game win streak back in November of 2022, the Macs are set to host Illinois Wesleyan University on Monday, Dec. 29th at 7:30 PM.