One shot. One chance to rewrite history. Zevi Samet dribbled up the floor, the weight of 1,187 days pressing down on his shoulders. That’s how long Macs nation has waited to best their fiercest rival. The crowd was deafening, a mix of blue-and-white believers on their feet, hearts pounding, and Farmingdale fans holding their breath. The moment demanded a hero, and everyone in the building and watching online knew whose hands the ball would end up in.

He crossed half-court, eyes locked in, defenders draped all over him. He had 34 points on the day, single-handedly willing Yeshiva back from the depths, down 16 with 15 minutes to go, clawing and scratching for this very chance. The scoreboard once read, “Farmingdale 60/Yeshiva 44” with 14:00 remaining. It now said, “Rams 78/Macs 76” with 20 seconds on the clock. Samet went to his right, took a hard dribble, stepped back—fadeaway three, a prayer launched into the air. For a split second, everything stood still.

Then, the net snapped. The YU bench exploded. Fans were in a frenzy. Farmingdale’s gym, the house of horrors that had buried the Macs for the last four years, was going to be finally turned upside down. Samet, stone-cold as ever, turned back up the floor, barely reacting. He had been built for this—yet he also knew the Rams had the last say. YU led 79-78, but there were still 15 seconds remaining. Sean Conroy got to his spot on the right wing, but his jumper churned out as Or Sundjyvsky pulled down the rebound with 3.9 seconds left. He calmly hit two free throws, meaning the best FSC could do was force overtime. However, Effy Freundlich had other ideas. He stole the inbound pass for the most significant interception of his life, threw the ball up in the air, and unleashed the court storm. There would be no FSC three-peat. There would be no 1,188th day. The Macs were 81-78 winners, with an improbable Skyline Championship triumph over their nemesis, punching their ticket to the NCAA DIII tournament.

Zevi finished with 37 in one of the all-time great performances, taking home Skyline Tournament MVP honors. Max Zakheim, battling through pain all game, gutted out 13 points and led a defense that locked in when it mattered. Or had a double-double, Roy Itcovichi added 10, and the Macs refused to lose.

How It Happened

The opening minutes were a battle, with both teams trading buckets, and YU’s offense humming early. Zevi got going with a smooth backdoor cut, and Max Zakheim was finding lanes inside. Yet, Farmingdale had an answer for everything. Conroy’s four-point play set the tone, and the Rams’ relentless attack inside started to wear on the Macs. YU wasn’t getting calls, wasn’t winning 50-50 balls, and was getting destroyed on the boards.

For all their troubles, this was a slim 36-35 FSC lead. Then, deja vu. It’s the same nightmare as last year’s final. A late first-half collapse. An avalanche. A 13-0 Rams run to close the half. 49-35 Farmingdale. Macs fans sat in disbelief. Same gym. The same deficit. That sinking feeling everyone knew too well.

YU came out of the second half swinging. Zevi hit a three, but the Rams kept controlling the paint. Every time the Macs chipped away, FSC answered inside.

Then came the turning point. A simple sequence: Win a 50-50 ball, attack downhill. Freundlich and Zevi did just that on consecutive possessions. The lead was down to 60-48 with 13:49 left. Then Zevi pushed in transition, another layup, and suddenly it was 62-55 with 12 minutes left. The YU crowd, already the loudest in the building despite being the visitors, erupted.

Zevi smelled blood. He hit a scoop layup. Then, a step-back jumper. Then a three. Sundjyvsky muscled inside to pull YU within 72-66, forcing a Farmingdale timeout with 7:27 left. The Macs fans were amped as chants of “Kol Yeshiva” echoed through the gym.

The Rams weren’t done. Kentrell Evans got an and-one. YU missed a few open threes, and the deficit ballooned to 77-69 with 4:40 remaining.

Zakheim, clearly struggling to catch his breath and operating at less than 100%, dug deep and got to the rim for a layup. Samet was fouled on a three before going perfect from the charity stripe, making it 77-74 with 3:00 minutes. Zevi had 32 and wasn’t done.

With 1:22 left, Zevi took a charge. YU ball. A chance to tie. His three rimmed out. Effy’s putback missed. Farmingdale grabbed the board and went to the line. They missed a one-on-one, giving Samet the ball back. He found himself open for a mid-ranger, slicing the deficit to one. Then, after Michael Notias split his free throws, Samet swished one of the biggest shots in Macs’ history.

After Conroy didn’t get his jumper to fall, Sundjyvsky nailed both free throws before Effy stole the inbound pass, ensuring YU had officially achieved redemption with an 81-78 victory.

Zevi Samet

It wasn’t just an incredible performance—it was an all-time performance. Thirty-seven points. Cold-blooded. Every championship team needs a guy who wants the ball when the pressure is suffocating, and Zevi demands it. Farmingdale knew he was getting it. He knew they knew, but he still buried the dagger.

Macs Never Quit

Down 16. On the road. In a gym, that has been their personal nightmare for years. Every reason to fold, and they refused. Every loose ball, every defensive stand, every moment that could have broken them, they met with a response. The second half was a war, and YU was relentless. Zakheim, battling through pain, willed himself back onto the floor and locked in defensively. Sundjyvsky made massive plays inside. Roy Itcovichi took key drives. Freundlich sealed it with a steal. It was grit in its purest form.

Big-Time Moments,
Big-Time Execution

Yes, Samet’s shot will get the headlines, and rightfully so, but it was all the little things that created that big moment and made it stand. The charge Samet took with 1:22 left, the free throws Sundjyvsky drilled with 3.9 seconds to go, Freundlich reading the inbounds and coming up with the game-sealing steal. Farmingdale had played the bully for years, but in the final minutes, Yeshiva was the team making the winning plays. That’s what champions do.

Now, the drought is over. Zakheim, who revealed to MacsLive that the team’s group chat name has been “Get rings, Cut nets,” finally saw that dream realized. He went straight to the Macs locker room after last season’s loss to Farmingdale and posted the following message on a piece of paper: “Skyline Chip 2024, Farmingdale 87, Yeshiva 68. 365 days to change the outcome. How are we going to get better to do so?” Now a year later, the champs have been dethroned on their farm. The Skyline Conference banner is coming back to Washington Heights, and the Macs are dancing to March Madness.