The Yeshiva men's basketball team didn't just play a game; they unleashed an offensive storm against St. Joseph's University Long Island on Sunday, clinching a 101-88 victory and marking the first triple-digit score this season.
Zevi Samet and Max Zakheim were a dynamic duo on overdrive. Samet's All-American-worthy performance included a jaw-dropping 38 points, three steals, three assists, and two rebounds. Meanwhile, Zakheim added 37 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and even a block.
With this win, the Macs boast a solid 9-5 record, dominating the conference at 7-1. They weren’t just playing on Sunday; they were making a statement.
Zevi Samet poured in a team-leading 38 points as the Macs rolled past St. Joseph’s Long-Island 101-88 on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
How it Happened:
- The Maccabees stormed to an early 16-4 lead, fueled by sharpshooting from Samet, Zakheim, and Roy Itcovichi in the first 6.5 minutes. The latter was a furious 9-0 run, highlighted by Adi Markovich feeding a cutting Max Zakheim for a layup that had the Golden Eagles‘ coach fuming.
- The Macs were aggressive defensively, holding the Golden Eagles without a basket for five minutes. They would score on a putback to make it 16-6.
-Yeshiva was feeling themselves and didn’t let up. Two Samet three-pointers, sandwiched by a Dothan Bardichev trey, made it 25-8, forcing another St. Joseph’s-Long Island timeout. The lead peaked at 34-10 with 7:58 left in the first half.
-The show in front of the Long Islanders continued as Adi Markovich sprung Effy Freundlich for an emphatic jam, extending YU’s lead to 40-17.
- Despite a late 11-0 run by the Golden Eagles, slicing their deficit to 12, consecutive layups by Samet gave Yeshiva a 46-32 lead at intermission.
- Both teams traded baskets for the first six minutes of the second half, with Samet’s burgeoning downtown showcase maintaining YU’s lead at 68-50 with 12:50 left.
-Any hope the Golden Eagles had of a comeback was momentarily snuffed when a scoop and score by Samet and a jumper by Roy Itovichi ballooned Yeshiva's lead to 73-52 with 11:30 remaining.
- St. Joseph's made a final push, cutting their deficit to 88-78 with 3:26 left. However, it only set the stage for Max Zakheim to score five consecutive points before a Samet layup made it 95-82 with 1:51 remaining. The Golden Eagles made things interesting, cutting it to 95-87, but their poor start was too much to overcome.
- YU's offense poured it on, reaching the 100-point mark for the first time since November 2022.
The 100 Club:
The Macs dropping triple digits is impressive enough in its own right, but they did it to an above-average defensive team. It was in large part to their success in transition, outscoring the Golden Eagles 16-4 on fastbreak points.
Pedal To the Metal:
The Macs kept their pedal to the metal, having an answer for everything St. Joseph's threw at them. The Golden Eagles threatened to turn the tables with a few furious runs, but Yeshiva shut the door on them each time. They caught fire from beyond the arc and established themselves in the paint, outscoring the Golden Eagles 52-46 in that category.
For the Macs (9-5, 7-1 Skyline):
-Zevi Samet (38) and Max Zakheim (37) combined for 75 of Yeshiva’s 101 points.
- Adi Markovich (6) and Dothan Bardichev (5) combined for 11 steals.
For St. Joseph's-Long Island (4-6, 0-3 Skyline):
- Xavier Allen led the way for the Golden Eagles with 28 points and five rebounds.
-Alec Tabada chipped in with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Spencer Malloy was right behind him with 16 points and seven rebounds.
- Terrin Roy added 13 points.
Up Next:
What's on deck for the Macs? They're wrapping up the year by hosting Hope College at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 8:00 PM.
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