On Sunday, January 28th, the Yeshiva Maccabees (11-7, 8-1) will take on the Old Westbury Panthers (0-18, 0-9) in their first conference road game in six weeks. The Macs, coming off of a come-from-behind victory at home against Purchase, have beaten the Panthers in ten consecutive matchups and will be looking to make it eleven. Old Westbury has had a season to forget, as they have lost all 18 games played this season and are desperately seeking their first win.
Old Westbury is led by Junior Amadi Lee-Kane and sophomore Jamari Williams, averaging 15.4 and 10 points per game respectively. These two will need to step up and play well for the Panthers to win this game. The Macs continue to be led by star guard Zevi Samet, who is averaging 22.8 points per game. Also, the Macs depth will be getting a big boost as Yoav Oselka, the 6”7 freshman forward from Israel, is set to make his return to the lineup after being out for the past couple months. Max Zakheim will be out for the Macs so they’ll need other guys to step up in this one. Effy Freundlich is a prime candidate for increased minutes, as he set a career high against Purchase, scoring 15 points in the win.
Yeshiva will look to secure a Skyline victory before entering a tough stretch of games. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
Keys to the game:
Taking Care of the Ball:
Yeshiva turned the ball over 14 times in Wednesday’s win against Purchase and came away with the win, but they will need to be a lot more careful against Old Westbury who will be bringing their absolute best. This could easily be seen as a trap game, with matchups against Manhattanville, Purchase, and Farmingdale State coming up, but the Macs will need to lock in and make sure this game doesn’t slip away.
Energy:
It will be very easy for the Macs to play down to their struggling opponent and keep them in the game. However, they will need to raise their energy and keep their foot on the gas pedal for all 40 minutes. This is a game the Macs can’t afford to lose, so expect Coach Steinmetz and the rest of the staff to have the players motivated, the bench engaged, and the Old Westbury crowd quiet.
How to Watch:
The game will tip off at 12 PM.
You can also watch the game here here.
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