The Macs overcame early offensive struggles, pouring it on in the second half to improve to 4-0 on the season. Ofek Reef missed his second straight game, but Ryan Turell’s 30 points, as well as key contributions from the Macs bench, particularly two three pointers from Oren Betesh, powered the Macs to their 33rd straight win.
How it Happened
Eitan Halpert hit a corner 3 to give the Macs an early 7-2 lead 3 minutes into the game.
Nadiv Altit scored on a nice running floater with 13:21 to go in the first half to push the score to 18-9.
USMMA went on an 11-1 run, capped off by a Jack Bucher three pointer which cut the Macs' lead to one with 5:34 remaining in the half.
After trading baskets for the next few minutes, Gavin Green’s corner three gave the Mariners a 30-29 lead in the last minute of the half.
Ryan Turell got to the hoop with 12 ticks to go, tying the game going into halftime.
The teams traded buckets to start the second half until Turell connected from downtown, giving the Macs a 46-37 lead.
Adi Markovich had a nice feed to Gabe Leifer, followed by a three pointer at the 12:13 mark, putting Yeshiva up 51-39
The Mariners would pull within six when James Walsh hit a jumper in the paint. Oren Betesh answered with his first of two threes, and the Macs never looked back.
The Macs went on a 20-5 run over the next six minutes, pushing the lead to 22. The final score was 77-58.
First Half Offensive Struggles
The Macs’ offensive struggles seemed to carry over from their matchup with Rochester into the first half against USMMA. Sloppy passing led to nine first-half turnovers. Poor movement and screening led to fewer scoring opportunities, and Yeshiva was only 2-11 from three at the intermission.
James Walsh’s Impressive Offense
Yeshiva had a tough time stopping James Walsh in the paint, especially in the second half, when he scored 16 of USMMA’s 27 points. While Yeshiva did a good job sealing the perimeter, Walsh was repeatedly able to penetrate the paint, often finishing with nice scoop layups. The senior’s scoring ability was a big reason USMMA was able to keep the score close for much of the game.
Dominating the Glass
The undersized Macs handled their business down low, out-rebounding the Mariners 34-24 overall. Critically, the Macs grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to Merchant Marine’s 3, leading to a 14-2 advantage in second-chance points. This differential was key in Yeshiva’s success.
For USMMA
James Walsh led the team with 22 points, 12 more than their second leading scorer, Blaine McDonough.
The Mariners secured nine steals which they were able to turn into 18 points off of turnovers.
Bryce Bristow led the team in rebounds and assists, finishing with seven boards and five assists.
For Yeshiva
Ryan Turell was the game's leading scorer with 30 points which went along with 7 rebounds.
Gabe Leifer scored 20 points, pulled down 16 rebounds, and came two assists short of a triple double.
The Macs’ struggles from the line continued, as they were 7-13 from the charity stripe.
After struggling from three in the first half, going just 2-11, Yeshiva turned it on from deep in the second half, shooting 8-13 from deep.
Up Next:
The Macs will be back in the Max Stern Athletic Center on Saturday night, for a primetime matchup with the University of St. Joseph Blue Jays at 8:30 pm.