It was personal. It was revenge. This time, the Yeshiva University Maccabees refused to let it slip. Two gut-wrenching losses to Sarah Lawrence defined the regular season, each one more painful than the last. A half-court buzzer-beater. An 11-0 collapse in the final two minutes. We'd seen this story before—but on Thursday night, the Macs rewrote the ending. In a battle of heart, grit, and sheer will, YU stormed into Bronxville and punched their ticket back to Farmingdale State for Skyline Championship Sunday, surviving a relentless Gryphons squad in a 72-69 instant classic.
How it Happened:
From the opening tip, it was clear this wouldn't be easy. The Gryphons' white-out crowd was deafening, and the Macs struggled to find their rhythm early, settling for mid-range looks and missing uncharacteristic free throws. Sarah Lawrence set the tone with a vicious backdoor cut leading to a dunk, and YU found itself trailing 7-3 just three minutes in. Then, Zevi Samet went to work.
YU's superstar sniper started heating up, drilling a step-back three, then another. He was dialed in, slashing through traffic for tough finishes, cashing in at the line, and playing with the kind of fire that said, "Not this time." Every time Sarah Lawrence tried to push back, Samet answered. By halftime, he had 17 points, was staring down the fans, and the Macs held a slim 40-36 lead.
Yet, if history had taught us anything, no lead was safe against these Gryphons. As the second half began, the pressure mounted. Sarah Lawrence wouldn't go away, and when Thomas Matonti —the Skyline's deadliest three point shooter—started launching bombs from deep, the tension in the gym was suffocating. YU built a double-digit lead at 54-44 only for the freshman gunslinger to arrive on the scene and cut it to 54-51. The phenom was unconscious, finishing with 28 points and six threes, and every time he let it fly, Macs fans held their breath.
Max Zakheim, who had been quiet most of the night, hit a clutch jumper out of a timeout, then drew a massive offensive foul to shift momentum. Or Sundjyvsky and Yoav Oselka provided the hustle plays that don't show up on the stat sheet—tipping passes, diving for loose balls, and keeping possessions alive. Then Samet took over again.
With 1:32 left, the Skyline Player of the Year delivered the dagger, shaking his defender and burying a cold-blooded mid-range jumper to put YU up 70-63. Macs nation erupted, but this rivalry episode couldn't end without one last gut-wrenching moment.
Zakheim fouled out with just under a minute left and Sarah Lawrence's SportsCenter hero, Eamon Kelly, drilled three free throws, cutting it to 70-66. Oselka, not known for his free-throw shooting, stepped to the line and calmly knocked down both, pushing the lead to 72-66. Matonti wasn't done, draining another trey. Then, disaster. Samet was called for a travel with 23 seconds left. Sarah Lawrence, down three, had a chance to send the ball game to OT. The entire season, the entire journey, was hanging in the balance.
Kelly got a look from deep but missed. The rebound was tipped back out to him for another potential three from the left wing. You could hear a pin drop as the ball flew and feel the hearts pounding. Hundreds were in the gym, and thousands were watching on MacsLive and listening to Yosef Silver and Avrey Stepner narrate the action. Kelly, who had broken the Macs with the "Buzzer, heard around Washington Heights" in the regular season, sought to double down. He had been limited to 13 points in the contest but could change everything with another make.
He received the ball and fired before becoming a spectator while the ball spun toward its verdict and the results of six months of blood, sweat, and tears hung in the balance. This time, it would bounce YU's way. The shot clanked off the rim, then the top of the backboard, and finally the rim once again, falling to the ground as the buzzer sounded. The Macs bench exploded, and the Yeshiva faithful released every ounce of tension, heartbreak, and frustration from the last two matchups in one deafening roar followed by the famous Adar chants. No collapse. No buzzer-beater. Just a 72-69 victory.
Zevi Samet dropped a game-high 34 points as the Macs ousted Sarah Lawrence on the road 72-69 on Thursday night, securing a Skyline Conference Championship rematch with Farmingdale State on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
Zevi Samet's Heroics:
When the Macs needed a bucket, Samet delivered—again. He torched Sarah Lawrence from deep, attacked the rim, and took over when the game hung in the balance. His 34 points were the difference, and every time the Gryphons clawed back, Samet shut the door. He told MacsLive about not letting the hostile environment phase him; it only fueled his fire. "The noise is the noise. It fueled us. They must chant so loud for us to lose because they know we're the better team. They weren't chanting so much for them, but more against us."
Defensive Stops in Crunch Time:
Sarah Lawrence had burned YU in the clutch twice, but not this time. The Macs locked in defensively when it mattered most. With under a minute left, they forced two giant misses from Kelly, sealing the win. After struggling against SLC's physicality in past matchups, YU matched their intensity and refused to let history repeat itself.
Winning at the Free-Throw Line:
YU owned the charity stripe and showed why they're the top free-throw shooting team in the conference. Despite going 4-17 from downtown and being outrebounded 41-30, the Macs went 16 for 24 on free opportunities, while Sarah Lawrence only got to the line 14 times, making 11. Down the stretch, it was Oselka's insurance free throws and Samet's steady hand that kept SLC at bay. In a tilt where every point mattered, YU's ability to get to the line and capitalize was enormous . Controlling the scoreboard meant controlling the game—and ultimately, controlling their destiny.
A Tremendous Thank You:
Thank you to Sarah Lawrence for allowing MacsLive to broadcast this Skyline semifinal showdown! We truly appreciate the hospitality, and a special thanks to AD Kristin Maile and SID Zach Perbeck for their help and accommodations. We hope more schools will allow us to do the same in the future.
With the Skyline Championship on the horizon, MacsLive contacted Farmingdale State requesting permission to broadcast the game—just as we've been granted permission to broadcast games there in 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2024. FSC respectfully denied the request due to the new conference rule there can only be one broadcast for the finals and it must be by the home team.
Tickets are already on sale for Sunday’s game. For those who can’t make it to the game, FSC will be live-streaming the game on their own. See you Sunday. Let's bring it home.
Up Next:
Now, there's just one game left to see if the Macs can advance to the NCAA Tournament. One could advocate for the Skyline Championship to be renamed the "Yeshiva Inavational," as the program will appear in the finals for the sixth season in the last seven, even if they haven’t won since 2022. However, there's a 1,185 day demon standing in their way. Farmingdale State, we meet again.
It's not YU’s house, but they know their way around. That Rams court has been a place of horrors for Macs nation, most recently, the championship drubbing 12 months ago and the 67-66 squeaker in January. Now, Yeshiva goes back there on Sunday at 1PM, and is more equipped than ever to end the drought. One more fight. One more win. One coveted championship is on the line. ADAR bsimcha!
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