(yumacs.com) The Yeshiva University men’s basketball team earned a Skyline road victory over College of Mount Saint Vincent, 84-63, at Peter Jay Sharp Center on Monday evening. Yeshiva (7-4, 5-1 Skyline) now has four conference games in a row.
The first half was close throughout, but Yeshiva finished on an 8-0 run to take a 44-36 lead into the intermission. Then the Maccabees dominated the second half by outscoring the Dolphins (1-5, 0-1 Skyline), 40-27, during the final 20 minutes of play.
“I love the way we locked up defensively in the second half,” Yeshiva University Head Coach Elliot Steinmetz said. “Great energy and good efficiency offensively.”
Senior forward Matan Zucker had a strong game for the Maccabees by leading all players with career-highs 29 points and 16 rebounds for the double-double, while dishing out five assists and forcing a pair of steals. Sophomore guard Max Zakheim netted 17 points in his first game back since the season opener. Rookie guard Zevi Samet produced 16 points and three steals, while senior Oren Betesh provided 10 points and three boards off the bench.
With 8:16 remaining in the opening half, Zucker connected on a layup, while being fouled. He added the free throw to complete the traditional three-point play and give the Maccabees their largest lead of the first half, at 28-19. The Dolphins responded by scoring eight unanswered points to slice the Macs’ lead to just one, at 28-27, with 6:22 remaining in the period.
Yeshiva got the momentum back as back-to-back buckets in the paint from Zucker and Samet put YU back up by five.
After the Maccabees took a 36-30 benefit, the Dolphins scored the next six points, capped off by a layup from junior guard Joshua Cabezudo to even the game at 36 points apiece with 2:34 left to play in the half.
Yeshiva closed out the opening period strong by scoring eight unanswered points. Samet concluded the run, and the scoring in the first half, by drilling a triple to give the Macs a 44-36 hold with 57 ticks left on the clock. That would be the score after 20 minutes of play.
YU’s strong play at the end of the first half carried over into the second stanza, as the Blue and White opened the period with a 15-2 run to take a commanding 59-38 benefit with 14:23 remaining in regulation time. That put the game out of reach for the CMSV and propelled Yeshiva to the conference road victory.
For the Maccabees, rookie forward Roy Itcovichi finished with six points and six assists. Freshman forward Dothan Bardichev had three points, three boards and a pair of blocks. Senior Gabriel Landau and junior Adi Markovich each dished out three assists, with the former grabbing two rebounds.
