The magic of the Macs' season ran out in Boston on Friday afternoon as Yeshiva fell to Tufts, 83-66, in the first round of the NCAA DIII Tournament. What started as a hopeful rematch and a dream upset quickly became a nightmare against the Jumbos' overwhelming size and rebounding supremacy. YU was outclassed on the glass 64-33, and despite Zevi Samet's 29-point showing, the Macs were submerged by the persistent pressure from Tufts.
How it Happened:
- Right from the jump, the Jumbos imposed their will inside. Zevi got YU on the board early, but Tufts controlled the pace, crashing the boards and capitalizing on second-chance points. YU's offense, stagnant at times when Zevi was faceguarded, struggled to create clean looks.
- Tufts took advantage of YU's foul trouble, getting to the line early and often. The Macs tried to push the tempo, but forced threes and miscommunications led to turnovers and easy buckets the other way. By the 7:40 mark of the first half, the hole was 25-10, and YU searching for answers.
- Every time it appeared the Macs could swing momentum, the Jumbos had an answer. The defining moment of the first half was Effy Freundlich picking off a pass, sprinting down the floor for what was a much-needed spark—only to get swatted from behind by a towering Tufts defender. That was the matinee in a nutshell.
- At halftime, it was all Jumbos, 45-25. YU was ice cold from the field (8-33 FG, 1-9 3PT) and had been out-rebounded 33-14. The numbers told the story, meaning this would take a near-miracle comeback.
- To their credit, the Macs came out of the break swinging. Effy and Zevi found some mid-range success, and a fast-break layup from Samet trimmed the deficit to 56-42 with 12 minutes left. Then, the moment the YU faithful had been waiting for arrived. It was a glorified 7-0 run capped by a Zevi layup, and it was 58-49, with 9:00 to go. The bench was amped. The boisterous visitor's crowd believed more magic was on the horizon.
- As quickly as YU fought back, Tufts slammed the door shut. A Samet three rattled out, and Tufts raced the other way for a quick layup. Another missed trey, another Tufts bucket. Even when YU defended well inside, a rare Jumbos trey to beat the shot clock saw the scoreboard inflate to 65-50, as hope faded. Over the final seven minutes, the Jumbos put the baby to bed, capping a 15-3 blitz for a 73-52 cushion before winning it 83-66.
Skyline Conference MVP Zevi Samet poured in 29 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Macs seasoned ended in the Round of 64 at the NCAA Tournament; falling to the Tufts Jumbos 83-66 on Friday. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
A Season to Remember:
It wasn't the ending the Macs had envisioned, but that doesn't erase the fact this group led by the wonderful coach Elliot Steinmetz, accomplished their goal of winning the Skyline Conference title, while receiving moments of brilliance from Skyline MVP Zevi Samet, and overcoming adversity throughout the season. Throughout their journey, the blue and white heroes inspired Jewish sports fans across the globe. This year's nationals run lasted 40 minutes, but the core of the squad returns next season as seniors, hungrier than ever. Following the trajectory, don’t be surprised if they win at least a round at the 2026 edition of March Madness. They lost as freshman in the Skyline semifinals to Manhattanville, but avenged them a year later only to fall as sophomores to Farmingdale in the Skyline Finals. Their Junior season resulted in a championship triumph over the Rams who’d owned the rivalry for 1,187 days, and an NCAA Round of 64 appearance. The bar is raised to the Round of 32, which will be the offseason goal of these incoming senior returnees.
Offensive Struggles & Forced Shots:
YU shot 22-68 from the field (32.4%) and 4-18 from three (22.2%). Several Macs took contested threes and struggled to generate when Tufts tried to take Zevi away. Even during their second-half push, where they got the looks they wanted by sending the ball to the post and forcing an interior collapse to open the flanks, missed opportunities kept them from making a Jumbo splash in the hosts' party. The effort was there but the execution wasn’t. The margins in March are razor thin where mistakes and missed chances are magnified. It’s why their run stops here.
Tufts' Response to YU's Run:
After the Macs cut the deficit to 58-49 with 9:00 left, it felt like momentum had shifted. A coach's mentality when down big is to match the gap with the minute. Here it was perfect. "9 at 9". For a moment, we had a contest. However, Tufts immediately responded with a 15-3 run, shattering comeback hopes. The Jumbos executed in crunch time, while YU couldn't capitalize on their brief window of daylight to escape the beckoning of summer as they did in Sarah Lawrence and Farmingdale. For now, it hurts. This will sting for a day or two. Yet reflecting, it's another chapter in the story of YU basketball; the best is yet to come.
PS: Thanks for reading my work all season long. I had a blast going on this journey with Macs Nation and tried to make their victories come to life through these words. Thanks to Zevi Pancer, Eitan Traurig, Yosef Silver, Dovid Samson, Zachary Sicklick, Matthew Loren, and the great Akiva Poppers for allowing me to cover YU throughout this magical, Skyline-winning season. Thanks to Aharon Weiden for setting up that exclusive interview with Roy Valdman and the police commander for trusting me. Thanks to you viewers for taking time out of your schedules to read my work, especially those who gave me positive feedback and constructive criticism, making me better.
Thanks to the players and coaches for giving us an unforgettable year and being gracious whenever I had questions. As an undergraduate junior alongside this nucleus, I'll return with this core of seniors and reigning Skyline Conference champions next year. However, MacsLive isn’t breaking for Summer, as we’ll be full-bore for the Red Sarachek tournament in a couple of weeks from March 26-31, when the best Jewish high school teams in the country take the Max Stern Athletic Center floor. Speak to y'all then!
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