NEW YORK, NY - Defeating their upstate rival for the second time this season, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team took down Purchase College, outlasting the Panthers by a score of 79-72 on Wednesday, Jan. 14th.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees saw four players score in double digits. Both Zevi Samet and Max Zakheim cracked the 20-point barrier with 24 and 20 respectively, while Yoav Oselka dropped 14 and Roy Itcovichi tallied 10.
 
Oselka also had a stellar night on the defensive end, pulling down five rebounds while leading the team with four steals on the night.
 
With the result, the Macs remain undefeated in conference play at 6-0, 7-8 overall.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Maccabees leapt out to an early lead, launching their advantage into double digits at 19-8 just over seven minutes into the first half. However, YU's edge would not last, with a voracious Purchase attack closing within one at 19-18, before tying the game at 25-25 with 6:14 remaining.
   
• The lead swapped hands four times in the final six minutes, with an Oselka dunk at 1:10 giving the Macs a definitive two-point cushion. That margin held through the end of the period, with YU going into the locker room up, 38-36.
   
• Despite Yeshiva's first half momentum, Purchase quickly took the lead to start the second, as the Macs trailed by as many as nine points at 55-46 with 12:37 remaining. A team used to adversity though, Yeshiva fought back, tying the game at 55-all just three minutes later on a Samet triple.
   
• This deadlock persisted through the next eight minutes of play, with the two squads still knotted up at 70-all with just 1:20 remaining in regulation. It was then that the Macs took control. A dagger of a three from Samet put Yeshiva up 73-70 with 48 ticks left, necessitating Purchase fouls. Zakheim, proving ice runs through his veins, nailed six consecutive free throws, bumping his statline up to 11-11 from the charity stripe on the night. YU's cold-blooded efficiency proved too much for the Panthers to overcome, as the Macs kept their undefeated conference record alive with a 79-72 win.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Samet (24), Zakheim (20), Oselka (14), Itcovichi (10)
• Assists: Dovrat (6), Samet (3), Itcovichi (3)
• Rebounds: Dovrat (8), Samet (6), Itcovichi (5), Oselka (5)
• Steals: Oselka (4), Dovrat (1), Samet (1), Zakheim (1), Edri (1)
• Blocks: Samet (1), Zakheim (1), Itcovichi (1)

 
UP NEXT
Closing out the week at home, the Macs will host St. Joseph's University Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 8:30 PM.