NEW YORK, NY - Competing in the Skyline Conference Quarterfinals for the 10th consecutive season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down Purchase College, dominating the Panthers by a score of 88-59 on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw five different players score in double digits. Zevi Samet led the way, with the newly crowned Skyline Player of the Year splashing in 30 points on 9-18 shooting.
 
Max Zakheim and Roy Itcovichi also proved effective with the ball in their hands, tallying 14 and 10 points respectively, while Luke Cronin and Or Sundjyvsky shone on both sides of the court, each putting up double-doubles. Sundjyvsky notched 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Cronin put up 12 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Macs out-rebound Purchase by a margin of 49-32.
 
With the win, the Maccabees improve their record to 16-10, 12-4 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yeshiva fell behind early, trailing 11-4 after just three minutes had ticked off the clock. However, the Macs quickly rallied, riding buckets from Cronin, Roy Itcovichi, Yoav Oselka and two foul shots from Zakheim to a 7-0 run, one that tied the contest at 11-all with 15:08 remaining in the half.
   
• This deadlock would remain through the next four minutes of play, with the game knotting three more times at 14-all, 16-all and 18-all. It was then that Yeshiva was able to secure some breathing room, as the sharpshooting of Samet and Zakheim paired with the dominant rim-running of Cronin and Dotan Bardichev tp power Yeshiva's lead out into the double-digits, stretching it out to 11 points at 40-29 with 20 seconds left in the period.
   
• The Macs' hold on the game was punctuated by a spectacular play from Sundjyvsky to end the half, with the New Jersey native corralling a missed Purchase shot with six second left, dribbling to half court with a defender draped over him, and launching a three that caught nothing but net, pushing Yeshiva's lead out to 43-29 and sending the MSAC Crowd into a frenzy.
   
• Yeshiva's advantage was tested to start the second half, with the men in blue and white seeing their lead shrink down to just four points at 51-47 with 13:19 remaining in regulation. However, having already downed the Purchase twice so far this season, the Maccabees knew how to cage a Panther. Eight points over three minutes from Samet combined with a pair of thunderous dunks from Itcovichi and Oselka to push Yeshiva's margin back out into double digits at 63-47, a status from which it would ultimately never fall.
   
• Looking to ice the game early, the Maccabees pushed their edge out past twenty points with just under eight minutes to play, cementing their stranglehold on the contest. With the game firmly in hand, Yeshiva began looking ahead, subbing out their stars to rest up from the semifinals, while also giving the bench some valuable playing time in a playoff setting. Noam Edri, Asher Falk, Ari Shklyar, Tom Valdman and Hillel Baynash all got on the court for the final minutes of play, locking down YU's 88-59 quarterfinal victory.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Samet (30), Zakheim (14), Cronin (12), Sundjyvsky (11), Itcovichi (10)
• Assists: Itcovichi (5), Zakheim (3), Cronin (3)
• Rebounds: Sundjyvsky (12), Cronin (10), Zakheim (6), Samet (6)
• Steals: Oselka (3), Sundjyvsky (1), Cronin (1), Zakheim (1), Bardichev (1), Falk (1)
• Blocks: Sundjyvsky (2), Levy (1)

 
UP NEXT
Advancing to the Skyline Conference Semifinals, the Maccabees will travel up to Bronxville to face off against the Sarah Lawrence College Gryphons on Thursday, Feb. 27th at 7:00 PM. Tickets for the game are on sale here.