The Macs defeated the Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins 82-68, improving to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in Skyline Conference play this year. In what was surely a hard-fought victory, the Macs snapped a two-game losing streak and increased their winning streak against the Dolphins to six games.
How it Happened:
Zevi Samet opened the game’s scoring with his patented corner 3.
There was a three-and-a-half-minute-long scoreless drought by both sides, with Or Sundjyvsky hitting a jumper to end the dry spell.
With the game tied with five minutes left in the first half, the Macs went on a 10-0 run in 2 minutes that put them up 31-21.
The Macs took a 36-26 lead into the break, with Zevi Samet leading the way with 12 points. Dothan Bardichev poured in 10 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist.
The Macs came out strong in the second half, starting off with a 5-0 run and forcing the Dolphins to call a timeout to regroup.
Down 15 points seven minutes into the second half, the Dolphins began to creep back into the game, going on a 7-0 run to cut the Macs’ lead to eight.
With 10 minutes left, Max Zakheim converted a big and-one to put the Macs up 11. After that sequence, however, the Macs started to look sloppy, recording eight turnovers as the Dolphins employed a full-court press to help them get within eight points with 5:30 left to play.
After some more back-and-forth action, Zevi Samet nailed a big three-pointer to put the Macs up by ten with just over two minutes left to play. The Macs never looked back and were able to pick up the 82-68 road victory.
The Macs rolled past the Dolphins 82-68 for a 2-0 start to their Skyline Conference season (Photo Credit: Akiva Poppers/MacsLive)
The Turnover Battle:
In the first half, the Dolphins recorded 11 turnovers, compared to the Macs’ 3. The Macs outscored the Dolphins 16-0 off of giveaways in the first half. In the second half, the turnover battle was fairly even - the Macs gave up the ball 15 times as opposed to the Dolphins’ 14 turnovers - they still managed to outscore the Dolphins 31-13 off turnovers for the game. Or Sundjyvsky led the way for the Macs with a mind-boggling eight steals on the night.
Bardichev Shines:
Dothan Bardichev put together his best all-around effort of the season tonight, finishing with a season-high 17 points and 5 boards. The sophomore forward out of Israel showed off some great passing skills with many no-look passes and contributed with 3 dimes. Tonight was a glimpse of what the future holds for Bardichev as he surely will look to build off of his effort tonight.
Pickpockets Galore:
The Macs had a season-high 14 steals tonight led by Sundjyvsky’s 8. Their aggressive tendencies on the ball stifled the Dolphins’ offense tonight, contributing to Yeshiva’s commendable overall defensive effort tonight.
Mount Saint Vincent (1-4 Overall, 0-1 Skyline):
Joshua Cabeduzo led the way with 15 points and Frank Camastro chipped in with 10.
The Dolphins bench showed up tonight, scoring 30 points.
DJ Tucker was relentless on the glass, as the 6’3” senior guard racked up a team-high 6 boards.
Yeshiva (4-3 Overall, 2-0 Skyline):
Zevi Samet had an incredible night, racking up 29 points and 7 rebounds, both season highs.
The Macs shot an efficient 29-56 (51.8%) from the field and 10-27 (37.0%) from downtown while converting 14-16 (87.5%) of their free throws.
Macs Captain Adi Markovitch debuted after missing the first six games with an injury. He picked up 3 fouls - including a Flagrant 1 - in 10 minutes of action before exiting the game due to a minutes restriction. He should look to get more chances in the coming games as he works back to full health.
The Macs extended their winning streak against the Dolphins to six games, dating back to November 16, 2021.
Up Next:
After they take a few days off for Thanksgiving, the Macs regroup for a two-game homestand starting this Sunday at 1:00 PM against Sarah Lawrence (1-4 Overall, 0-0 Skyline). Be sure to catch the game in person or right here on MacsLive.