In a back-and-forth matchup at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Wednesday night, the Yeshiva University Maccabees beat the Maritime Privateers 81-70. The game was very close throughout the first half and the teams entered halftime tied. It wasn’t until the middle of the second half when the Macs jumped out to a substantial lead, and they were ultimately able to hang on for a very important Skyline Conference victory.
The two sides wasted no time putting points on the board, as each team knocked down their first respective shots of the game. Matan Zucker converted a layup with 12:06 left in the half to give Yeshiva a six-point lead, but Maritime kept it close and was able to retake the lead just a few minutes later. It looked like the Privateers would take the lead into the break until Oren Betesh went coast to coast in seven seconds and banked in a runner at the buzzer to tie the game at 40.
The Macs’ second-half performance was the story of the game. They stepped up defensively while continuing to knock down shots, leaving Maritime in the dust and leading by as many as 19 with six minutes to go. The Privateers were not done, however, responding with a 14-2 run to cut the lead to seven with just over two minutes left. The Macs regained their composure and knocked down some important free throws to ice the game and come away with the win.
Free Throw Shooting:
Both teams got to the line plenty tonight, but the Macs were able to convert at a higher clip than the Privateers. That ultimately was the deciding factor in this game. Max Zakheim led the Macs in this category, earning many trips to the line thanks to his strong drives in the lane.
Three-Point Shooting:
The Macs have a bunch of talented shooters on this year’s squad and they didn’t disappoint tonight, knocking down 46% of their threes tonight. On the other side, Maritime only hit 29% of their threes and they struggled to put the ball in the basket late in the game.
For Maritime (9-9, 5-4):
Ryan Donovan led the Privateers with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Tyler Anderson scored 14 points in 30 minutes of play.
For Yeshiva (10-8, 7-2):
Max Zakheim had an incredible game for the Macs, scoring 27 points on six-of-nine shooting from the field and hitting 14 out of 15 free throws; he also grabbed eight rebounds.
Matan Zucker recorded a double-double, putting up 13 points along with 10 rebounds.
Oren Betesh and Effy Freundlich provided some sharpshooting off the bench, combining to hit six of eight three-point attempts.
Up Next:
The Macs head to Kingspoint on Sunday to take on the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 PM.
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