For 39 minutes and 59 seconds, the Maccabees clawed, battled, and nearly exorcised their demons. Still, it wasn’t enough. Yeshiva’s 1,155-day drought against Farmingdale State stretched another painful night, as the Rams escaped with a 67-66 victory, handing the Macs their second conference loss of the season.
Or Sundjyvsky put on a show, dropping a season-high 19 points off the bench while nearly securing a double-double with nine rebounds. Zevi Samet added 18 points and played his heart out defensively, leading the team with five steals. Dothan Bardichev contributed 12 points and five assists, but it wasn’t enough to break the curse. One point. That’s all that separated the Macs from revenge. One point. It was the difference between celebration and another night of frustration in the house of horrors.
How it Happened:
Farmingdale took control early, as they always do in their gym. The Macs found themselves chasing from the jump, down 13-6 just minutes in. The deficit hovered around seven for much of the first half, but Yeshiva’s defense tightened late, sending them into halftime trailing by just six, 28-22.
The second half started like a nightmare. The Rams pushed their lead to double digits in the blink of an eye, ballooning it to 15 with just over six minutes remaining. Yet, these Macs refused to fold.
A furious 21-8 surge, sparked by back-to-back layups from Luke Cronin and a clutch three from Sundjyvsky, sent shockwaves through the gym. With 1:20 left, the unthinkable happened: Yeshiva was within two, 65-63.
However, a missed layup, a costly turnover, and two Farmingdale free throws sealed YU’s fate. Sundjyvsky buried a three at the buzzer, but it was too late. The Rams hung on 67-66.
The Macs dry spell against Farmingdale State continued in a 67-66 loss on Wednesday night. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
The Slow Start (Again!):
It has become a theme in these matchups. Farmingdale jumped out early, and Yeshiva was playing from behind all night. Falling into a 13-6 hole in the first few minutes and then struggling to crack 20 points deep into the first half made life way harder than it needed to be. The late push was admirable, but imagine if they weren’t climbing out of a double-digit deficit in the first place.
The Second-Half Slip-Up:
There was a stretch right after halftime where Farmingdale just took over. The lead ballooned to 15 points, and it appeared the game was toast before the Macs finally turned it on. That makes this loss even more challenging to swallow. YU outplayed Farmingdale for big chunks of the game, but that brutal stretch early in the second half was too much to overcome. If they keep it even during that span, we’re probably discussing a win right now.
Missed Opportunities in Crunch Time:
The comeback was real. The Macs had all the momentum, cutting the lead to two with just over a minute left. Yet a missed layup, a foul turnover, and giving Farmingdale two free points at the line sealed the loss. Yeshiva had the game in their hands and couldn’t close it out. That’s the difference between finally snapping the streak and another night of “what ifs.” Despite the defeat, the Macs showed they could beat Farmingdale. The gap is closing. If they clean up these mistakes, that win is coming. And when it does, it’s going to feel incredibly sweeter.
For Yeshiva: (10-8, 7-2 Skyline)
The Macs shot 10-25 from downtown, while Farmingdale went 4-18.
Yeshiva is the best free-throw shooting team in the Skyline Conference, but could only muster six attempts against a disciplined Farmingdale State defense.
Or Sundjyvsky had a team-high 19 points and 9 rebounds.
For Farmingdale (10-8, 7-2 Skyline):
Michael Notias dropped 16 points, and shot 7-16 from the field.
Kentrell Evans had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Rams outscored the Macs 42-24 in the paint.
Up Next:
The Macs will look to get back on track in a Sunday Matinee against the Merchant Mariner Mariners in Kings Point. Tip-Off is at 1PM.
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