From the opening tip, the Macs controlled the game. Graduate student Jordan Armstrong tipped the ball to Ofek Reef, and just five seconds in the Macs drew first blood. With stellar defense and great ball movement, Yeshiva took the Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins to a 9-0 deficit, forcing the Dolphins to call a timeout. After the timeout, it only took two possessions for the Dolphins to etch a score on the board. The Dolphins continued on, giving the Macs the toughest first-half they’ve faced all season, as the teams went into the locker rooms with a score of 38-35 Yeshiva. However, the Macs’ star power emerged and held the Dolphins to only 14 points for the rest of the night, and YU won their 41st in a row, 81-49.
How it Happened:
Armstrong took the opening tip straight to Reef for a 2-0 Macs lead.
The Macs jumped out to a 9-0 lead, forcing the Dolphins to take a timeout.
The Dolphins responded with a three-point shot by Darab; yet another three-pointer by Darab tied the game at 19 with 11:09 to play in the first half.
Eitan Halpert’s fourth three-pointer broke a 27-all deadlock between the two teams.
The half ended with an incredible putback layup by D3hoops Team of the Week member Ryan Turell.
The Macs controlled the second half, starting on a 21-6 run to give them a 59-41 lead with 13:34 left in the game.
With the second unit out to end the game, Matan Zucker extended their lead to 26 with 4 consecutive points.
Halpert, the leading scorer of the contest, finished off a great game when he connected on his sixth and final 3-pointer with 4:54 left to play.
On a tough and contested baseline turnaround jumper, Alon Jakubowitz showcased the strength of the Macs’ bench unit to cap the game off at 81-49.
Defensive Domination
It was the defense that led the Macs to a 32-point win. Holding the Dolphins to only 23% overall shooting in the second half, and forcing them to cough up the ball 17 times throughout the game, it was clear that the Macs’ defensive efforts shined tonight.
Second Chance Points
The Macs succeeded in abusing the size difference between the two teams. Collecting 50 rebounds throughout the night, the boys in blue capitalized with 22-second chance points.
Shooters Gonna Shoot
Half of the Macs’ three-point makes came from the reliable shooting of Eitan Halpert. While the Macs had 12 three-pointers in the contest, seven more than the Dolphins, more than half of the Macs’ shots came from behind the line. Turell and Markovich added two of their own three-point shots, as the Macs stormed past CMSV with their shooting.
For Mount Saint Vincent:
Darab nailed three of his four shots from three, finishing off with eleven points.
The Dolphins had 35 points in the first half, in part due to their efficiency from three, as they made 5 of their 10 attempts from behind the arc.
Porcic affected the game with his scoring, shooting, and passing tonight as he finished off with eight points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
For Yeshiva:
Halpert’s stellar shooting gave him 27 points on just 16 shots.
The Macs outrebounded the Dolphins, pulling down 50 boards. Leifer held down the paint with his 12 rebounds, which contributed to the Macs’ 22-second chance points.
With 23 points off turnovers, the Macs capitalized on their 17 forced turnovers against the Dolphins.
Turell may have had a season-low in points with only 18, but he affected the game with his amazing defense against the Dolphins.
Leifer nailed down his 1,023 career rebound, which moves him past Sheldon Rokach (‘66) for third on the program’s all-time rebounding list.
What’s Next:
The red hot Macs will face off against the St. Joseph’s College-Brooklyn Bears on Thursday evening for another Skyline Conference Matchup. Tip-off will be at the Hill Center and is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Watch the game live here.
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