The Macs rallied in the second half after a slow start to the game to win 74-65 against the Golden Eagles of St Joseph’s Long Island. The game opened with the Golden Eagles jumping out to a 9-0 lead, capped off by a layup from their big man Spencer Malloy. Matan Zucker ended that run with a putback layup to give the Macs their first points of the game. The Golden Eagles took a 21-8 lead on a layup from Alec Tabada, giving the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the half. The Macs responded with a 7-0 run that finished with a layup from Zevi Samet off a backdoor cut. Both teams traded baskets for the next few minutes while the Golden Eagles maintained their lead. Dothan Bardichev connected on his second three-pointer of the game to cut the Macs’ deficit to 27-20 at the end of the first half.
Yeshiva began the second half strong, with Max Zakheim connecting on a three-pointer to give the Macs a 30-29 lead for their first lead of the night. The Macs continued extending their lead in the first ten minutes. Matan Zucker scored out of the post, giving the Macs a 44-36 lead with 11 minutes left. Three minutes later, the Golden Eagles’ Ryan McNeely knocked down a three to tie the game at 46. Adi Markovich made his biggest shot of the season on a three that gave the Macs a 63-54 lead with under five minutes remaining. The Golden Eagles fought back, cutting the lead to 65-60 after a three from Matthew Hirdt. This would be the closest the Golden Eagles would get to winning, as the Macs were able to convert their free throws and secure the 74-65 win.
First Half Offensive Struggles
Both teams really struggled to score in the first half of this game. After a 9-0 run to start the game, the Golden Eagles cooled off and only scored 18 points in the final 15 minutes of the half. The Golden Eagles shot just 35% from the field and turned the ball over four times. The Macs struggled even more, shooting just 28% from the field and turning the ball over eight times in the half. Neither team was able to capitalize on the opposing team's offensive struggles, which kept this game close heading into the second half.
Three-Pointer Resurgence
It is no secret that the Macs rely heavily on the three-ball. Their motion offense generates many good looks from three and if the Macs can convert on those attempts, they will generally be very successful. In the first half, the Macs really struggled from beyond the arc, converting only three of 13 attempts. As we have seen before with the Macs, the second half saw them bounce back from the three where they shot 7 of 13 and helped them rally to secure the win. The Macs possess the ability to come back from any deficit because of their unique talent to get hot from beyond the arc.
For St. Joseph’s University Long Island (10-12, 7-7 Skyline)
Matthew Hirdt led the Golden Eagles with 17 points, including five three-pointers.
Xavier Allen totaled 16 points and nine rebounds.
For Yeshiva (14-9, 11-3 Skyline):
Zevi Samet led the way for the Macs with 21 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Max Zakheim finished with 17 points, including three three-pointers.
Roy Itcovichi had his best scoring game in the last few weeks, finishing with 14 points on six of eight shooting from the field.
Up Next:
The Macs host Mount Saint Vincent this Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 PM in the Max Stern Athletic Center.
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