NEW YORK, NY - Suiting up for their first post-Shabbat home game of the season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team fell to the University of Saint Joseph, losing to the Blue Jays by a score of 78-64 on Saturday, Dec. 6th.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw two players score in double digits, with Zevi Samet dropping 21 while Yoav Oselka banked in 13.
 
On top of his offensive prowess, Oselka also dominated the paint for the Macs, pulling down a team-leading seven rebounds while adding a steal.
 
With the result, the Macs are now 1-6 on the year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both squads struggled offensively early in the first half, with neither connecting on a bucket through the first three minutes of play. Even as shots began to land, defenses still ruled the day, with the score knotted at 9-all at 11:52 remaining in the period.
   
• Despite the slow start, the Blue Jays finally found their offensive groove, going up by seven at 19-12. This margin would hold until the clock read 4:14 remaining in the half, as the Macs kept pace with their high-powered foe behind the shooting of Samet, Roy Itcovichi, and Max Zakheim. Yeshiva made a final push to close out the period, drawing within one at 34-33 with 36 seconds left, before ultimately going into the break down three at 36-33.
   
• The teams held serve through the first 10 minutes of the second half, separated by seven points at 56-49 with 9:47 remaining. However, Zakheim had to sit significant minutes due to foul trouble, and the Maccabees could not hold USJ down for long without their All-Conference guard. The Blue Jays took their first double digit lead of the game at 59-49, and while a layup from Samet on the next possession pushed the margin back down to eight, the floodgates had been opened.
   
• The Maccabees fell behind by 11 points at 66-55 with 5:14 left in regulation, and would not be able to push their deficit back into single digits throughout the rest of the contest. Despite buckets from Samet and Yair Dovrat, the Macs could not close the gap between the two squads, losing 78-64 when the final buzzer sounded.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Samet (21), Oselka (13), Sundjyvsky (8)
• Assists: Dovrat (5), Oselka (3), Samet (2), Zakheim (2), Itcovichi (2), Bardichev (2)
• Rebounds: Oselka (7), Dovrat (5), Itcovichi (5), Bardichev (5)
• Steals: Oselka (1), Dovrat (1), Sundjyvsky (1), Samet (1), Zakheim (1)
• Blocks: Dovrat (1)

 
UP NEXT
Opening conference play on the road, the Macs will travel to Purchase College on Tuesday, Dec. 9th at 7:00 PM.