Gameday Preview: Sarah Lawrence @Yeshiva

The Yeshiva University Maccabees enters 14–0 and on aneight game heater in Skyline play. The Sarah Lawrence Gryphons aren’t some afterthought. They’re 11–2, battle-tested, disciplined, and very capable of turning this into another 72–64 grinder which was the car when the Macs bested them back in January. If YU wins, they clinch the division and lock up a top-two seed in the Skyline playoffs.

This isn’t just a Senior night.

This is positioning night.

They Know What This Feels Like:

Last time these two met, it was gritty. Seesaw. Possession-by-possession. Sarah Lawrence punched first. They ran in transition. They crashed the glass. They built early confidence.

YU had to absorb it. Zevi Samet steadied things. Roy Itcovichi chipped in. The Macs clawed back, took a brief first-half lead, lost it again, and went into halftime trailing.

A 10–0 run to open the second half changed everything. Defensive stops. Longer possessions. Half-court control. The Gryphons wanted pace. YU turned it into patience.

It was tied deep into the final stretch before composure won. A 9–1 burst and Samet free throws saw execution beat emotion in a feisty victory. That’s undoubtedly the formula again.

Senior Night is about honoring what this core has built including their conference title last year, but it’s also about protecting it.

The Macs know what this matchup feels like.

They’ve already survived it once.

Now they get to defend it at home with everything on the line.

Own the Interior Again:

Last meeting, Yoav Oselka’s 21 and 10 anchored the paint. The Macs limited second chances and generated their own. If they win the glass, they control tempo. If they don’t, the Gryphons hang around.

Dictate the Pace:

Sarah Lawrence wants flow and early offense. YU is at its best when it forces half-court possessions, rotates cleanly, and makes teams score over length. The 10–0 second-half run last time came because the Macs turned defense into discipline.

Close With Poise:

If it’s tight late — and it very well could be — trust execution. Samet at the line. Zakheim making the extra pass. Dovrat spacing and cutting. Senior Night moments are emotional, but championships are built on calm.

How to Watch:

Tip-Off is at 8:30PM. You can watch the broadcast on the MacsLive YouTube Channel.