BLUE JAY-DED: MACS LACK SPARK IN LOSS TO SAINT JOSEPH:

Two days after an exhilarating victory over defending NCAA runners-up NYU, Yeshiva University looked to keep the good times rolling Saturday against the University of Saint Joseph at the Max Stern Athletic Center. Instead, the Maccabees struggled to maintain consistent offense, and, at times, seemed unable to generate the “juice” needed to win the game. YU fell 78-64 in a game where offense was hard to come by early, but the USJ Blue Jays stepped up when they needed to and pulled away in the second half. Zevi Samet had a game high 21 for YU, but was bottled up late, as Saint Joseph dared a different Macabee to beat them. The Jays refused to be yet another victim of a Zevi Samet late game takeover. USJ won with a balanced attack, as they had five players in double figures, to the Macs two. Let’s take a deep dive and see where it went wrong for Yeshiva on Saturday night

How It Happened:

• The game began in a sloppy manner for both sides; there were numerous silly turnovers and “off by a mile” 3 pointers. It was messy, but that can be chalked up to solid defense. Both sides were relentless on the defensive end. In fact, USJ didn’t score until the 16:46 mark of the first half.

• Once the Blue Jays got off the schneid, they continued scoring by pounding the Macs in the paint. In fact, Saint Joseph didn’t score from the perimeter until the 7:41(!) mark.

• At the halfway mark of the first half, USJ led YU 12-9. The game appeared destined to be a low scoring affair.

• Towards the end of the first half, the offense picked up; Zevi Samet scoring ten of the Macs’ first sixteen points. For the Blue Jays, forward Freddy Feldrappe began to heat up, netting the first of his 4 threes, and continuing to thrive. 

• As the first half winded down, the intensity heated up: Max Zakheim and USJ’s Jakari Tertulien got into a scuffle, resulting in technical fouls on both sides.

• USJ continued to pound the paint the whole half, but with a late YU surge, the Macs cut the deficit to 36-33 when the first half buzzer sounded, sending both teams to the locker room. 

• When the second half began, it was clear the Blue Jays were the more energized, determined team. USJ’s paint abuse continued while the Macs got off to an extremely sloppy start.

• Despite all that, we still had a game. Dothan Bardichev hit a clutch 3 as the shot clock was expiring to make the score 48-43 USJ, and the pair of Yoav Oselka and Nate Jacobs rattled off 6 in a row with 12 remaining to cut the deficit to 4. Unfortunately for the Macs, that’s as close as they got. 

• Saint Joseph rattled off a trio of 3 pointers, the final was another Feldrappe crusher with the shotclock at 0. That extended the lead to 11 with just 7 minutes to go. 

• YU managed to penetrate more offensively, but failed to cut into the lead, as defensive stops eluded them. USJ got to the rim at will and finished lay-up after lay-up, making it difficult for the comeback to be completed. 

• As the game winded down, the Blue Jays kept scoring, and the Macs couldn’t match them. A big reason for this is the Jays shut down Zevi Samet late, and nobody else was able to carry the team. 

• The lack of stops on the defensive end and inconsistent offense resulted in the game getting away from YU. A late turnover and conversion on the other end extended the deficit to 14, effectively ending the game.

• It was a unique game in that it was always within reach, but the Macs were never able to take it. Put simply, USJ made more plays when it mattered most, leaving the Macs in their dust. 

…But The Zevi Was Dry:

Zevi Samet led the team with 21 points, but the majority of those came in the first half. In the second half, the USJ defense completely zoned in on stopping Samet, leaving the other four players on the floor to pick up the slack. They couldn’t. YU failed to produce continuity without Samet controlling the offense, calling into question who this team’s true second option is when the opposition throws their best defenders at the Macs’ star. A great representation is the scoring numbers for each side. Saint Joseph had five players in double figures. For the Macs, it was just Samet and Yoav Oselka with 13. Credit must be given to the Blue Jays’ defense for shutting down YU, but going forward, if Samet receives so much attention, someone will have to step up and carry the offense. 

Emotions Are Rising:

The Macs have played good basketball against some great team this season, but they aren’t getting the results. They’ve grabbed just a single win this season in 7 tries, but have certainly played well enough to win more than that. One could even argue they should have won their matchups against Chapman, #15 University of Mary Washington, and #4 Tufts. That disappointment, and possible frustration, revealed itself Saturday night. Max Zakheim received a technical foul for scuffling with a Blue Jay and Coach Elliott Steinmetz grabbed a T in the second half for voicing his disagreement with a foul call against his squad. Perhaps some emotions from previous disappointing games boiled over into this one. 

The Macs can turn this around– they’ve endured a brutal schedule, and now face some winnable games to get their season back on track. If the team can keep their heads cool and on straight, they can rack up some wins, and change the view of this season. Mindset and mentality is an underrated but crucial part of basketball. Whether it be a stretch of possessions or a stretch of games, there are numerous ups and downs that teams endure. It’s time for YU to exhibit their mental toughness and turn this thing around, while keeping their emotions in check. 

Stats:

• Zevi Samet led the Maccabees with 21 points on 6-11 shooting and a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line

• Yoav Oselka had some big buckets as the Macs tried to mount a comeback. He finished with 13, as well as 7 rebounds and 3 assists

Up Next: 

Yeshiva will travel to Purchase College for a tilt with the Panthers on Tuesday, December 9th. That matchup marks the first conference game this season for the Macs. They will return home next Saturday to face Manhattanville as Skyline Conference play continues.