On Thursday night, January 18th, the Yeshiva Maccabees (9-6, 7-1) will take on the Immaculata Mighty Macs (8-8, 1-3) in their first game since returning from their weeklong Israel trip, during which they faced off against Hapoel Tel Aviv’s squad. The Macs have only played one official game in the last month, and will be looking to find a bit more success in non-conference play, where they sit at a measly 2-5 this season (albeit against the #14 non-conference strength of schedule per D3datacast.com). Immaculata has struggled as of late, dropping five straight before finally getting back in the win column last night against Centenary University.
These two teams matched up for the first time last year in Max Stern Athletic Center, with the Mighty Macs taking down the Yeshiva Macs by a score of 69-63. Yeshiva will aim to even the all-time series tonight.
Immaculata is led by grad student Tyler Tillery, who averages 13.3 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. He scored 14 points in last year’s matchup. The Mighty Macs also have six players averaging between 8-10 points a game, signifying that they are a deep squad and have multiple players who have the ability to score when called upon.
The Macs are led by their starting backcourt of Zevi Samet and Max Zakheim, who are averaging 23.5 and 19.9 points per game, respectively. A fast start is crucial for the Macs tonight, so look for their top two scoring options to try and get on the board early and often.
Yeshiva will look to win the battle of the Macs against the Mighty Macs on Thursday night. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
Key to the game: Defense
Last year’s matchup was a low scoring affair, but the two teams have had a lot of success on the offensive end this season. This game will likely be determined by which team is able to clamp down on defense and best limit the opportunities for the opponent’s best players. Yeshiva will need to force the ball out of Tillery hands, and Immaculata will have to do their best to suffocate Samet around the three point line, as well as try and keep Zakheim from slashing into the paint.
How to Watch:
The game will tip off at 8 PM in Alumnae Hall.
You can also watch the game here.
MacsLive:
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