The Yeshiva University Maccabees delivered a dazzling performance on Sunday, putting on a historic offensive show to cruise past the University of Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins, 112-75. With the non-conference grind behind them, this Skyline Conference matchup felt like a fresh start—and the Macs seized the moment in historic fashion.
The Macs' 112-point outburst marks the third-highest scoring game in program history, trailing only their 124-point effort against St. Joseph’s Brooklyn in 2018 and a 1959 contest against Brooklyn Poly Tech. The afternoon also featured a special milestone, as freshman Benjamin Lasry notched the first points of his YU career in the closing minutes, draining a layup to cap the offensive eruption. It was a blowout which had the power to transcend the Macs into asserting themselves atop the Skyline Conference, en route to a Pool A bid in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Zevi Samet had 28 points as the Macs crushed the USMV Dolphins 112-75 on Sunday. (Akiva Poppers/Macslive)
How it Happened:
The Macs jumped out to a quick 15-5 lead in the first seven minutes, fueled by seven early points from Roy Itcovichi.
Effy Freundlich and Zevi Samet helped extend YU’s lead to double digits, as they breezed into halftime with a 51-36 lead.
YU’s lead grew to over 20 points just six minutes into the second half, with dominant play as Tom Beza joined the party alongside Itcovichi, Luke Cronin, and Samet.
The Macs' reserves carried the team past the century mark. Ari Shklyar, Benjamin Lasry, Jonathan Okner, Moshe Sicklick, and Yoel Kintzer brought energy, depth, and swagger to push the Macs to a dominant 112-75 victory.
Samet Shines as Macs Set the Tone:
The Macs wasted no time putting their foot down thanks to Itcovichi’s seven quick points, but it was the unstoppable Samet who carried the torch with 28 points on an efficient 9-14 shooting, including 4-7 from deep. He’s now submitted consecutive games with 20+ points and is beginning to hit his stride at the right time.
Defense Delivers: Macs Dominate the boards and tame Tucker:
The 112 on the scoreboard will get all the attention, but it was Yeshiva’s defense which made all the difference in the victory. YU dominated the glass, outrebounding the Dolphins 56-35, led by Luke Cronin's 11 boards. They also locked down UMSV’s top scorer, DJ Tucker, who came in averaging 16.2 points per game but was held to just 11. The Macs also dominated the paint, building their blue and white house to the tune of 60-28.
Macs’ show depth, with bench outscoring UMSV’s Starters:
The most impressive component of this win, was was the depth Yeshiva showed. The bench came alive and delivered a staggering 43 points, while the starters from Mount Saint Vincent only combined for 37. The Macs didn’t just rely on their big names; they all came together, from the veterans to the fresh faces, for a picture-perfect victory.
For USMV (4-7, 1-1):
• DJ Tucker struggled with 11 points, below his season-average of 16.2.
• Max Depina grabbed a season-high ten rebounds, one of the lone positives for the Dolphins in a lopsided loss.
• Alex Chi had a season-high 9 points off the bench, and had a 19.65 usage rate.
For Yeshiva: (5-6, 2-0)
• Zevi Samet scored a game-high 28 points, with Roy Itcovichi adding 17, and Yoav Oselka contributing 13.
• Luke Cronin grabbed a YU career-high 11 rebounds, Max Zakheim and Itcovichi pulled down 9.
• The Macs moved the ball around with 31 assists, the most in three years and their 31/8 turnover ratio was the most in the coach Elliot Steinmetz era.
Up Next:
The Macs will seek their third straight Skyline Conference win against the Sarah Lawrence Goohers on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 8:00PM from the Max Stern Athletic Center.
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