On Tuesday night, February 21, the Yeshiva University Maccabees will host the Golden Eagles of St. Joseph’s University of Long Island in the quarterfinals of the Skyline conference playoffs. The Macs won their last five games played and started to look like a conference-winning level team down the stretch. These two teams matched up a few weeks ago and the Macs came back from down 7 at halftime, winning the game with a final score of 74-65. No one in particular really stood out in that game, which is a testament to how balanced this rotation is. They have a plethora of guys who can give you double-digit points on any given night. With that being said, the key to winning playoff games is having your best players step up. Max Zakheim and Zevi Samet have to show up every night for this team from here on out and lead by example. Samet averages 21.8 points per game and Zakheim has contributed 16.6 points per game as well. In order for the role players to play well and get good looks, those guys must draw the attention of the opposing defenses.
The Golden Eagles come into the playoffs having won four of their last five games. Unfortunately for them, that one loss was against Yeshiva. This team is better than their 13-11 record shows. They blew out the number one seed in the conference a couple of weeks ago. Sophomore guard Alec Tabada, arguably the team's best player, missed the first 14 games of the season and has slowly worked his way back into the lineup. Tabada only makes up for half of this team’s elite backcourt. Earlier in the season, Xavier Allen lit up the Macs for 26 points, leading the Golden Eagles to a win without Tabada. Allen averages 16.5 points per game on the season and leads the team in scoring. These two guys can beat any team single-handedly when playing at their best. Given that both teams have great guards, this game could come down to the Golden Eagles’ big-man Spencer Malloy, who averages 15 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game. He’s a big-time player and he will likely be a major factor on the glass in this one.
How to Watch:
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm. Watch the game live here.
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