On Tuesday Night, February 22, the Yeshiva University Maccabees will begin their postseason journey against the Purchase College Panthers. After a brief stretch of inconsistency, the Macs finished the season strong, as winners of their last three games. In their one matchup earlier this season, the Macs beat the Panthers by a score of 98-69. For the Macs, all five starters scored in double digits, while Purchase had just two double digit scorers.
Purchase will enter Tuesday night’s contest with a record of just 6-17 on the season. The Panthers have struggled defensively, allowing opponents to shoot 46% from the field and giving up an average of 82.4 points per game. On offense, the Panthers average just 11.3 assists per game in comparison to their 15.9 turnovers per game.
Leading the way in scoring for Purchase is senior guard Malcolm Hansford-Whyte with 15.7 points per game. Hansford-Whyte leads the team in assists as well. Eric Block, who scored 22 points when these teams last met, is shooting 44% from three on the season and averages 13.3 points per game as well.
Keys to the Game:
Defensive Pressure:
Against a turnover-prone Purchase team, the Macs should ramp up the defensive pressure in hopes of turning Purchase mistakes into easy baskets. In their last meeting the Macs were able to score 25 points off of 17 Purchase turnovers.
Size Advantage:
The Macs should look to take advantage of their size against the smaller Panthers, who have been outrebounded by their opponents all season long. The Panthers have been outrebounded by an average of 6.8 rebounds per game, so Yeshiva should look to take advantage of second chance opportunities by following missed shots. They should also look for chances to score on the drive and score points in the paint against this undersized team.
Smart Play:
As the overwhelming favorites to win this game, the Macs can ensure a victory by avoiding unforced errors. Not forcing passes on offense and just letting the natural offense flow should result in open looks for the Macs. On the other side of the ball, playing strong defense will likely be enough to help the Macs advance to conference semifinals.
How to Watch:
Tipoff at the MSAC will be at 8:00pm. The game will be broadcast on Macslive.
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