The Macs started out strong and controlled the entire game in a 90-63 win over the Old Westbury Panthers. The game began with a three from Oren Betesh, which foreshadowed how the rest of the game would go. Both teams went back and forth for the next 10 minutes, with the Macs leading 19-17. A layup by Max Zakheim capped off an 11-2 run for the Macs and gave them a 30-19 lead with five minutes to go in the half. Oren Betesh’s layup then made the halftime score 42-27, in the Macs’ favor.
The second half saw the Macs pull away and take complete control of the game as they continued to find open shooters and open cutters for great looks. It began the same way the first half did— with an Oren Betesh three-pointer. A layup by Jordan Johnson-Rader cut the Macs' lead to 53-39, but that would be the closest the Panthers would get the rest of the night. Betesh made his eighth and final three-pointer of the night to give the Macs a 77-51 lead with seven minutes remaining. Ari Shklyar connected on his first three of the season to put the finishing touches on a 90-63 win.
Strong First Half:
One of the keys to the game for the Macs was to start the game strongly and not rely on a second-half rally to win the game. The Macs did just that, building a 15-point lead heading into the break. They generated high-quality shots due to multiple ball reversals, which led to open threes and long closeouts, which in turn led to drives to the rim.
Second-Chance Opportunities:
Early on, the Old Westbury Panthers controlled the offensive glass; they kept themselves in the game because of second-chance opportunities. The Macs had trouble all night limiting the Panthers to just one shot per possession. The Panthers finished with 22 second-chance points, which amounted to a third of their total points scored in the game. The Macs were able to win despite this, but as they get closer to playoff time, they will need to prevent those second-chance opportunities for opposing teams.
For Old Westbury (2-17, 2-10):
Max Weinberg led the way for the Panthers, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds.
Carl Damour scored 11 points on 5-17 shooting from the field.
For Yeshiva (10-9, 7-3):
Oren Betesh was lights out from downtown, hitting eight of nine three-point attempts en route to a 30-point day.
Max Zakheim had an efficient night, scoring 18 points on six-of-eight overall shooting.
Zevi Samet had a quiet 13 points on 6-12 shooting.
Up Next:
The Macs travel to Patchogue, New York to face St Joseph’s University of Long Island on Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 PM.
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