For the third time this season, the Yeshiva University Maccabees were overmatched by a national title contender, falling to #16 Wesleyan University, 72-55. Memories of last year’s 90-56 blowout loss to the Cardinals came flooding back as the Macs struggled to match their opponent's firepower, who stayed undefeated with their 12th straight win.
The game saw some bright spots, with Roy Itcovichi (14 points), Max Zakheim (12), and Yoav Oselka (10) leading the charge offensively. On the defensive end, Luke Cronin and Dothan Bardichev made their presence felt in the paint, each snagging four rebounds.
How It Happened:
- Zevi Samet opened the scoring for Yeshiva in the opening seconds, but the offense struggled to find rhythm early on.
- The Macs didn’t reach double digits until 7:57 left in the first half, trailing Wesleyan 29-12 by that point.
- Despite contributions from Itcovichi, Samet, Oselka, and Zakheim, Yeshiva went into halftime down 44-24.
- Yeshiva’s second unit stepped up, with Beza, Effy Freundlich, and Falk combining for seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
- The Macs outscored Wesleyan 31-28 in the second half, but the early deficit proved too steep to overcome.
Zevi Samet and the Macs had a shooting night to forget as they fell to #16 Wesleyan 72-55. (Akiva Poppers/Macslive)
Slow Start on Offense:
The Macs struggled to find their scoring touch early, managing just 12 points in the first 12 minutes. Falling behind 29-12 made it tough to catch up against a team as strong as Wesleyan.
First-Half Defensive Woes:
Wesleyan capitalized on nearly every opportunity in the first half, dropping 44 points by halftime and shot the lights out of the gym. The Macs couldn’t slow down the Cardinals' offensive rhythm when it mattered most, and were a step behind all night.
Playing Catch-Up:
While YU outscored Wesleyan in the second half, the early hole was too deep. The effort was there, but against a nationally ranked undefeated team, you can’t afford to play from behind.
For Yeshiva (4-5, 1-0 Skyline):
Roy Itovichi had 14 points in 21 minutes
Mac all-star Zevi Samet made zero three pointers and finished with eight points.
Max Zakheim had 12 points in 28 minutes
For Wesleyan (12-0):
Shane Regan poured in a game-high 21 points for the Cardinals
Ben Lyttle added 17 points
Zach Wolinski added 9 points
Up Next:
The Macs have a quick turnaround against #10 Tufts at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Thursday. Tip-off is at 7:30PM.
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