Macs Lock In After Halftime, Roll Past Purchase to Open Skyline Play
- Noah Motechin
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
On a night where the Macs desperately needed to reset their season’s momentum, Yeshiva delivered a disciplined, physical, and balanced performance on the road. After a sloppy first half from both sides, the Macs tightened up defensively, cleaned up their halfcourt execution, and rode a dominant second half to a convincing 71–46 win over Purchase.
Behind Yoav Oselka’s two-way brilliance and Zevi Samet’s historic 2,000th career point, the Macs showed flashes of the cohesion and identity that had been missing through their brutal non-conference gauntlet. By the final buzzer, YU’s depth, energy, and defensive pressure overwhelmed a young Purchase roster still trying to find its footing.
How it Happend:
Purchase won the tip, but the Macs struck first as Zevi Samet drew a foul and hit 1-of-2 to make it 1–0 YU. The Panthers answered with a pair of free throws to go up 2–1, but Max Zakheim immediately took the lead back with a downhill finish, and Yoav Oselka followed with a jumper to make it 5–2.
Oselka scored again inside to extend the margin to 7–3, giving the Macs early control of the paint. Purchase responded with a few transition buckets to trim it to 13–12, but Roy Itcovichi steadied YU with a tip-in to make it 13–9, then a midrange jumper to push the lead to 15–12 as the Macs settled into rhythm.
Purchase tied the game at 20–20 with five minutes left, then took a 23–20 lead after a deep three from Desmond Ward. YU responded with a small surge:
A Roy free throw, then a Dothan Bardichev corner three, and another Itcovichi finish through traffic gave YU a 26–25 lead. Freshman Joe Schanzer scored at the rim, resulting in a 28-25 Macs lead as the halftime buzzer sounded.
A sloppy 20 minutes from both teams, but the Macs’ interior defense and effort on the glass gave them the edge heading into the break.
The Macs came out of the locker room with a different level of sharpness. Oselka scored immediately to push the lead to 30–25, and although Purchase answered with a three to cut it to 30–28, YU responded right back. Or Sundjyvsky attacked the rim on consecutive possessions, stretching the margin to 34–31 and setting the tone for the half. From there, the Macs took full control. Zakheim scored twice in transition to extend the lead to 38–31, and Oselka continued to dominate inside, pushing it to 40–32 before knocking down two free throws to make it 42–32. The momentum had fully shifted.
Samet buried a midrange jumper to extend the lead to 44–33, then pulled up from well beyond the arc for a deep three that made it 47–33. Moments later, he finished in transition to push the advantage to 49–33, igniting the Macs bench.
Itcovichi added a free throw to make it 50–33, Oselka scored again in transition to push it to 52–33, and Bardichev’s wing three stretched the lead to 55–35. The signature moment came soon after, when Samet rose off a double screen and drilled a contested pull-up — the bucket that officially put him over 2,000 career points, giving YU a 57–36 lead.
From there, the Macs cruised. Samet added two more free throws to extend it to 64–38, Oselka continued to control the paint with another transition finish, and freshman Johnny Dan closed the night with back-to-back tough midrange buckets to seal the 71–46 win.
Zevi’s 2,000-Point Milestone:
Zevi Samet hit a pull-up jumper to officially reach 2,000 career points, becoming just the second player in program history to do so. He finished with 12 points and 3 steals, including a deep three that sparked the second-half avalanche.
Oselka Was Huge:
Yoav Oselka was the best player on the floor from start to finish. He posted 18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists, and a block, anchoring the Macs defensively and punishing Purchase inside. His early paint dominance set the tone.
Balanced Attack the Macs Have Been Missing:
For the first time all season, YU had a fully balanced scoring effort:
Oselka (18), Samet (12), Zakheim (11), Itcovichi (11), and Bardichev (6). The offense flowed, the spacing improved, and the bench contributed meaningful minutes — a major step forward compared to the earlier non-conference struggles.
Yeshiva Leaders:
Yoav Oselka: 18 pts, 14 reb, 5 stl
Zevi Samet: 12 pts, 3 stl
Max Zakheim: 11 pts, 5 reb
Roy Itcovichi: 11 pts, 5 reb
Dothan Bardichev: 6 pts, 2 ast
Team Stats Highlights:
Field Goal %: 49.2%
Points in the Paint: 44–16 YU
Bench Points: 24–22 YU
Fastbreak Points: 12–11 YU
Purchase FG%: 25.9%
Turnovers Forced: 20
Up Next:
The Macs return home for a Motzei Shabbat matchup with the Manhattanville Valiants on Saturday night, December 13 at 8:30 PM.