On Wednesday night, November 10, the Yeshiva Maccabees will look to continue their hot start and 38 game win streak as they take on the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors in this season’s home opener at the Max Stern Athletic Center. Coming off back-to-back wins over the weekend down in Williamsport, PA, the Macs will be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since the Skyline Championship game back in March of 2020. In their lone prior matchup with ECSU, the Macs, who trailed at the half, came back to win 83-75 on the road.
This will be the first game of the season for ECSU, as they come off an abridged nine game campaign in which they finished with a 5-4 record, ultimately losing in the Little East Conference semifinals. Led by fifth year guard Cory Muckle (14.8 PPG) and senior guard Tyreice Woods (12.5 PPG), the Warriors return their top 5 scorers from last season, as they hope to use their high octane offense to light up the scoreboard. The team will also rely on athletic forward Quinton Lott, transfer from Keene State, to put up big numbers in his second season at ECSU, as well as Max Lee, the high-IQ 6’3” guard to run the offense and control the game.
Keys to the game:
1. Limit the Transition Opportunities
ESCU uses their quickness and athleticism to their advantage so the Macs will need to prevent the Warriors from leaking out and getting easy transition buckets.
Being the stellar defenders they are, the Macs need to make sure they can set up their half court defense to limit the number of good looks ECSU gets.
The Macs are averaging 15 turnovers a game thus far, so taking better care of the ball will give the Warriors less of a chance to capitalize on the fast break.
2. Prevent Second Chance Opportunities
The Macs have allowed 23 offensive rebounds through the first two games including 17 on Sunday against Penn State Schuylkill. Securing defensive boards will be crucial, even against a slightly shorter ECSU roster.
Limiting the Warriors to one shot or less per possession will be a key defensive goal for the Macs.
These rebounds will also lead to outlet passes to get the Macs’ lethal transition attack running.
3. Stay Out of Foul Trouble
The Macs stay aggressive on the defensive end, and while their active hands lead to many steals (21 so far this season), Yeshiva needs to make sure they limit the fouls as well.
Yeshiva has been called for 37 fouls through two games, so the Macs will look to limit the number of trips ECSU takes to the charity stripe.
Big man Jordan Armstrong was charged with 2 early fouls against Penn State Schuylkill, forcing him to sit on the bench for the rest of the first half. Yeshiva has great depth, but it will need its top players out there as often as possible.
How to Watch:
The game will tip off at 8PM and fans are highly encouraged to attend the game in person.
You can also watch the game here on Macslive.