Samet Scores 34 as Macs Rout Old Westbury

In a mid-season Skyline conference matchup on Thursday night, the Yeshiva Maccabees defeated the winless Old Westbury Panthers 94-68. The Macs jumped out to a big lead in the first half and never looked back as they captured their fifth straight conference win. The Panthers kept cutting into Yeshiva’s lead, but the Macs continued to respond and were able to maintain their distance, gliding to victory.

The game appeared to be an offensive struggle from the start, as neither team was able to hit a field goal until two minutes in. The Macs wasted no further time, opening up a massive lead that got as big as 17 midway through the first half. Roy Itcovitchi was having success in the paint early on, and Zevi Samet knocked down a couple of threes to get the Macs rolling as they took a 46-33 lead into the break. Old Westbury tried getting back into the game, but the Macs kept the foot on the pedal in the second half and won the game handily by a score of 94-68.

Zevi Samet finished with 34 points and 8 threes in the win. (Photo Credits: Akiva Poppers)

Three-Point Shooting:

When the Macs shoot well, they usually come out on top, and tonight was no different, as the team knocked down 40% of their outside attempts. Samet shot 8/16 from beyond the arc and Dothan Bardichev and Oren Betesh each knocked down a pair of their own.

Ball Movement:

The Macs' ability to knock down a lot of threes tonight was heavily aided by their motion offense and sharp passing. 23 of their 37 made field goals were assisted on and their constant movement on the offensive end had the Old Westbury defense lost for much of the game.

For Old Westbury (0-5, 0-1):

• Max Weinberg led the Panthers with 13 points off the bench, along with six rebounds.

• Junior Carl Damour scored 11 off the bench and grabbed five boards.

• Timothy Park and Chris Smith each scored 10 apiece in the losing effort.

For Yeshiva (8-4, 6-1):

• Zevi Samet led the Macs with 34 points, knocking down eight threes and grabbing seven rebounds in 30 minutes of action.

• Max Zakheim played well tonight, scoring 14 points and coming away with three steals on the defensive end.

• Freshman Roy Itcovichi scored 18 points on an efficient 9-for-11 shooting night.

Up Next:

The Macs host Saint Joseph’s University Long Island on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM.

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