BRONX, NY - Taking down their second conference foe of the season, the Yeshiva Women's Basketball Team felled Purchase College, beating the Panthers by a score of 58-55 on Thursday, Feb. 12th.
 
The Maccabees were led by the ever-reliable duo Naomi Sigman and Fortune Hanan, with both tallying double-doubles. Sigman notched 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Hanan put up a mind-blowing statline of 15 rebounds, 11 points, five blocks, and three steals.
 
With the result, the Macs improve to 3-20, 2-16 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Despite falling behind early, trailing by as many as seven points five minutes into the first quarter, the Maccabees rallied. Leaning on stellar scoring from Sigman, Tali Cohen, and Danielle Zaretsky, Yeshiva took their first lead at 14-13 with 1:53 remaining, before closing out the period with a pair of Simone Amkraut free-throws that put them up, 18-16.
   
• YU's advantage faltered at the beginning of the second quarter, with a 10-1 Purchase run not only wiping out Yeshiva's lead, but burying them in a five-point hole at 26-21. However, where YU's offense struggled, their defense stepped up. Purchase scored their final basket of the quarter with 6:31 left on the clock, going scoreless through the rest of the period for what equated to nearly 20 real-time minutes. The Maccabees' offense was finally able to take advantage with just under four minutes left, tying the game at 26-all before taking a 31-26 lead into halftime.
   
• With both teams eager to secure a much-needed win, the lead once again saw significant fluctuation throughout the early third quarter, changing hands three times before the pendulum finally settled in Purchase's favor. The Panthers were able to maintain the advantage through the latter half of the period, yet YU's stout defense did not allow their conference foe to get far, as Yeshiva trailed by just five at 48-43 headed into the final 10 minutes of play.
   
• Practically tasting the upset of a team firmly entrenched in the conference playoff hunt, the Maccabees locked in, serving up a masterclass of a fourth quarter. Seven straight points from Sigman and Hanan to kick off the period both erased Purchase's tenuous advantage, and gave the Macs one of their own at 52-48, flipping the lead away from the Panthers and into YU's favor for what turned out to be the final time. Yeshiva's margin stretched out to as many as eight points throughout the quarter, and while Purchase managed to close within three with just under two minutes remaining, a defensive masterclass from the women in blue and white kept the visiting team scoreless, locking down the 58-55 Maccabee victory.
   
• Yeshiva's win can in large part be chalked up to their success in the paint. Not only did the Macs pull down a season-high 59 rebounds, but 22 of those came on the offensive glass, allowing the YU to capitalize with 20 second chance points.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Points: Sigman (17), Cohen (12), Hanan (11)
• Assists: Cohen (3), Sigman (2), Schwartz (2), Amkraut (2)
• Rebounds: Hanan (15), Sigman (12), Cohen (9)
• Steals: Sigman (4), Cohen (4), Amkraut (4)
• Blocks: Hanan (5), Cohen (1), Schwartz (1)

 
UP NEXT
Taking on their penultimate opponent of the season, the Maccabees will host St. Joseph's University Brooklyn on Sunday, Feb. 15th at 2:00 PM.