With a powerful second half leading them to a victory over the Purchase College Panthers, the Macs advanced to 4-0 in Skyline play. The Macs’ stellar defense led the way in the first half, and Yeshiva’s offense came to life in the second half, powering them to a 98-69 victory. During his 26-point game, Ryan Turell continued setting records by surpassing Lior Hod as the number-four all-time scorer for the Macs. Additionally, Gabe Leifer set his own record by becoming the first Macs player ever to reach 500 assists.
How it Happened:
Eitan Halpert started the game off with a layup to make it 2-0.
Gabe Leifer hit a three-pointer about a minute and a half in to put the Macs up 7-2.
Utilizing his height advantage, Jordan Armstrong hit the first of his several shots in the paint with 15:25 to go in the first half.
Ofek Reef’s layup beat the halftime buzzer, giving the Macs a 45-30 lead at the break.
At the 10:25 mark in the second half, Turell hit two free throws and increased the Macs’ lead to 21 points.
A huge block by Adi Markovich on Jordan Knochen with 9:45 left in the game highlighted the height difference between the two teams.
Ofek Reef and Ryan Turell had back-to-back dunks, bringing the score to 78-54 with just over seven minutes left in the second half.
The Macs cruised to the finish line, and when the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read Yeshiva 98, Purchase 69.
DE-FENSE
Despite Yeshiva’s offensive struggles for most of the first half, the Macs avoided giving up the lead during that time. They only had a 41.5 FG% in the first half. Nevertheless, their stellar defense held the Panthers to a 32.5 FG% in that half. The Macs’ defense, assisted by their height advantage, made the Panthers uncomfortable anywhere near the paint. This forced the Panthers to take 36 three-point shots; although some of them were wide open, Purchase only made ten of them.
Old Habits Die Hard
After a relatively slow start for their offense, the Macs pushed through the tight score and roared ahead in the latter part of the first half as well as the entirety of the second half. On 55.3% shooting, the Macs scored 53 points in the second half. They continued their habit of constant ball movement, which brought them to a tally of 21 assists throughout the game.
For Purchase:
The Panthers’ efforts were spearheaded by Eric Block, who finished with 22 points and scored four of his team’s ten three-pointers.
Block was followed closely by Malcolm Hansford-Whyte, who managed to score 18 points during the game.
Purchased finished with a 37.5 FG% and a 27.8 3PT%.
For Yeshiva:
Leifer came up just short of a triple double, as he garnered 17 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and notched 9 assists.
Turell scored 26 points and hit seven free throws during the game.
The Macs shot 48.1% from the field and 46.7% from behind the arc.
Up Next
On Sunday, the Macs look to extend their winning streak to 44, as they face off against the Manhattanville Valiants at 2:00 pm in the MSAC. That game will be broadcast on MacsLive.
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update or mention re #5/lasko?