A triple-double from Gabe Leifer and 33 points from Ryan Turell powered the Macs to a 90-69 win against the Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins. Leifer’s 26 points— the most he has scored in a game since January 2020— helped the Macs remain undefeated on the road and rebound after a tough loss in their previous game.
How it Happened:
After the Dolphins won the tip, the Macs quickly took control of the ball and Ofek Reef opened up scoring with a free throw.
After a three-pointer by Dan Porcic, the Dolphins had a 3-1 lead; the lead went back and forth between the Macs and Dolphins as the game continued.
With just over 12 minutes to go in the first half, a Turell layup followed by another from Ethan Lasko gave the Macs a lead that they held for the rest of the game.
Another layup from Turell gave the Macs a 10 point lead and forced a timeout from the Dolphins at the 9:21 mark.
With 6:37 remaining in the half, Dan Porcic made a three-pointer and brought the Dolphins within six points of the Macs.
Leifer shot a layup with about 1:30 to go in the first half, returning the Yeshiva to a more comfortable 14-point lead.
A three-pointer from Leifer quickly opened up scoring during the second half.
With around 11 minutes to go in the game, Turell capped off a 12-1 run for the Macs, making the score 72-46.
Assisted by Oren Betesh, Gabriel Landau capped off the Macs’ impressive performance with a 3 pointer in the game’s final minute.
Maintaining Control:
The Macs repeatedly committed steals against the Dolphins and prevented them from gaining momentum. Yeshiva usually averages 10.9 steals per game, but this evening Yeshiva managed 14 steals throughout the game, eight of which belonged to Leifer and Turell. Yeshiva also managed 40 rebounds during the game and allowed only 15 turnovers.
Consistency is Key:
Throughout the season, the Macs have often had weak performances in the first half. This tendency came back to bite them more recently when they lost some games for the first time in a few years. This evening, however, Yeshiva broke that habit. There were no significant discrepancies between the Macs’ first and second half performances against the Dolphins. Yeshiva’s 46 points in the second half were preceded by 44 points in the first half. The Macs even had a slightly better FG% in the first half than they did in the second half and had the same number of points from the paint in both halves. The Macs need to keep this up if they want to carry this momentum into their next game against a much tougher opponent.
For Mount Saint Vincent (9-13, 7-8 Skyline):
Dan Porcic led the Dolphins with 21 points, making half of his team’s three-pointers.
Haven Smith had 11 points and five rebounds; Aaron Darab scored 10 points.
The Dolphins shot 48.3% overall, 44.4% from behind the arc, and 38.5% on free throws.
For Yeshiva (20-3, 13-2 Skyline):
Leifer achieved a triple-double, with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
With a whopping 33 points, Turell led the Macs in scoring; his additional ten rebounds earned him a double-double.
The Macs shot 48.6% overall, 37% from behind the arc, and 80% on free throws.
Up Next:
This Thursday, February 17, the Macs welcome No. 5 University of Saint Joseph to the Max Stern Athletic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM.
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