Macs Dream Season Ends in Sweet 16 at Emory
- Marvin Azrak
- 35 minutes ago
- 5 min read
The final score read Emory 101, Yeshiva 80, but that number doesn’t quite capture the fight the Maccabees brought to Atlanta in the sweet 16 on Friday afternoon.
Facing the second-ranked team in Division III on its home floor, YU took an early punch, battled back behind a sensational 43-point performance from Zevi Samet and 20 more from Yoav Oselka, and for a stretch in the second half had the Eagles looking uncomfortable.
Ultimately, Emory’s depth, transition attack, and dominance on the glass proved too much. But not before the Macs made the Sweet 16 stage feel like exactly where they belonged. This senior core made their history on their one last ride together.
How It Happened:
Emory landed the first punch immediately AJ Harris, finished inside, then backed his way in again as the Eagles quickly built a 6–2 lead.
The Macs struggled to find rhythm early. A missed open three and a Samet turnover led to transition points. Before the first media timeout, Emory had ripped off a 14–0 run to take a 16–2 lead with 15:02 remaining in the half, forcing Elliot Steinmetz to burn an early timeout.
Zevi Samet refused to let things spiral out of control. The Monsey Mamba scored YU’s first eight points, cutting the deficit to 19–8 as the Macs slowly settled into the game.
A Zakheim block ignited a transition finish from Samet, trimming the deficit to 19–10 as YU began to find its footing.
Emory continued attacking inside, using its size advantage to push the lead to 21–10 midway through the half.
Freshman Yair Dovrat finally provided secondary scoring for the Macs, finishing to make it 21–12.
Samet then caught fire. A falling corner three near the Emory bench brought YU within 29–22 as he climbed to 16 first-half points.
Zakheim picked up his second foul and headed to the bench for the remainder of the half, forcing YU to adjust its rotation.
Yoav Oselka battled inside and strung together four straight points, keeping the Macs within striking distance despite Emory repeatedly getting to the free-throw line.
Samet continued his scoring barrage, drilling another three to bring YU within 45–42 and cap a remarkable personal run.
Emory star Ben Pearce answered with a big shot of his own before Samet responded again, pushing his total to 26 first-half points.
A late Emory free throw sent the teams into halftime with the Eagles ahead 51–44. Emory controlled the glass early, outrebounding YU 22–17 and grabbing nine offensive rebounds.
The second half began the way the first had ended with Emory pushing the pace. A turnover and transition bucket quickly extended the lead to 58–44.
After Oselka missed two free throws, Mario Awasum converted an and-one to push the Eagles ahead 61–46.
Oselka responded with an and-one of his own off a Samet assist, helping the Macs cut the deficit to 63–53 with 16:16 remaining.
YU continued to chip away. A Samet transition layup, an Oselka scoop finish, and a Samet three suddenly had the Macs within five at 72–67 with just over eleven minutes left.
Emory answered immediately. Pearce pushed the pace in transition and sparked a run that pushed the Eagles’ lead back to double digits.
Foul trouble for Oselka and Dothan Bardichev, combined with Emory’s dominance on the glass, allowed the Eagles to regain control of the game.
A Pearce transition bucket pushed the margin to 84–69 with just over eight minutes remaining, putting the tilt to bed.
Emory continued to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, eventually stretching the lead to 93–73 with a few minutes remaining.
Pearce finished with a double-double (26 points, 10 rebounds) while Mario Awasum added 17 points for the Eagles.
Samet delivered a spectacular final performance in a Macs uniform, pouring in 43 points to lead YU and finishing 13th all-time in DIIi scoring with 2,564 points and 6th all-time in threes at 403.
Oselka added to his total of 20 points before fouling out as the Eagles pulled away late to secure a 101–80 victory and advance to the Elite Eight.
After the final buzzer, the Macs gathered at midcourt to thank the traveling fans — who made up a large portion of the crowd — as the remarkable season came to an end.
Emory turned YU mistakes into Points with their transition game:
Several of Emory’s biggest runs came directly after YU turnovers or long rebounds. The Eagles consistently pushed the ball before the Macs could set their half-court defense, leading to transition baskets from players like Ben Pearce and Mario Awasum. When YU cut the deficit to 72–67, Emory immediately answered with transition buckets that pushed the lead back to double digits. Those quick spurts prevented the Macs from sustaining their momentum.
Emory Dominated the Glass and Second-Chance Opportunities:
The biggest statistical difference in the game was on the boards. Emory outrebounded the Macs 49-34 and grabbed an astonishing 19 offensive rebounds, compared to just 9 for YU. That created a massive possession advantage for the Eagles. Even when the Macs forced tough shots, Emory repeatedly extended possessions and generated extra scoring chances around the rim or at the free-throw line. In a tilt where YU needed to maximize every possession against a deeper, more athletic opponent, those second opportunities allowed Emory to stretch the lead gradually.
Emory’s Depth Wore the Macs Down:
While YU leaned heavily on the Shtark Shooter (43 points) and Oselka (20) for offense, Emory spread the scoring across their five stars. Pearce had a double-double. Harris (19 points) and Jair Knight (15 points) reached double-figures. Supporting them were Mario Awasum (17 points) and Ethan Fauss (19 points), who helped spearhead the Eagles' rampage when needed. Over forty minutes, that depth, alongside their breakneck transition pace, allowed Emory to maintain their pace and physicality, particularly during the late-second-half run that sealed their trip to the Elite 8.
The Senior Class That Carried the Torch:
Watching Zevi, Max, Roy, and Dothan grow over the past four years has been an absolute privilege. When Ryan Turell and Gabe Leifer graduated, plenty of people wondered if YU could ever get back to this stage again. Those were legendary teams. The assumption was that kind of success might take years to rebuild. Instead, this group picked up the torch and kept running.
They built their own identity. They won consecutive Skyline Conference championships, the latter being a perfecto. They took the program back to the national stage. And they did it together. It’s going to be hard not seeing these guys in Macs uniforms anymore.
Their final game said a lot about who they are. Zakheim, the Red Rocket and Skyline Playoff MVP who hit the two biggest free throws in program history last week against Batss, battled for 30 minutes, playing through a broken big toe, defending a First Team All-American, and doing all the little things that never fully show up in the box score. The Monsey Mamba delivered one last masterpiece, pouring in 43 points on the Sweet 16 stage. Roy Itcovichi and Dothan Bardichev continued doing what they’ve done throughout their careers: competing, leading, and sacrificing for the team.
And above them all stands the architect of this era, head coach Elliot Steinmetz. Before he arrived in Washington Heights, YU had never appeared in an NCAA Tournament. Since then, he’s made five tournaments in eight seasons with two Sweet 16 runs.
As the great Akiva Poppers pointed out, this senior class, captains Zakheim and Samet along with leaders like Hillel Baynash, Tom Beza, Roy Itcovichi, Ari Shklyar, and Dothan Bardichev, leaves the program in a better place than when they arrived. And that might be the greatest legacy of all.
Before signing off on this season, I want to extend a short personal thank you to Macs Nation. Thank you to everyone who followed along all year, whether you were reading these recaps from Washington Heights, from across the country, or even across the world. Covering this team, telling these stories, and sharing these moments with you has been an incredible privilege.