Behind a dazzling 21-point first-half explosion from Skyline Player of the Year Zevi Samet, clutch free throws from Max Zakheim with 0.2 seconds remaining, and a relentless effort from a team that refused to blink when the pressure peaked, Yeshiva stunned Bates 71–69 Friday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament First Round. For the Macs, the win is historic. It marks just the third NCAA Tournament victory in program history and the first since the magical 2020 run to the Sweet 16.

For months, this is the moment the Yeshiva Maccabees have been building toward. The long bus rides. The brutal non-conference schedule. The painful early losses. The early mornings in the Max Stern Athletic Center, trying to figure out what this team was going to become. It all leads here. Friday at 1:00 PM, inside the intimate gym at Montclair State University, the Yeshiva Maccabees will take the floor against the Bates Bobcats in one of the most intriguing matchups of the o