Macs Romp Old Westbury, Advance to Skyline Semis

We spent all week talking about the moment.

Sixteen–zero. Reigning champs. A senior class that reshaped the trajectory of YU basketball. Adar in the air. Playoff lights at the Max Stern Athletic Center.

And for about seven minutes, it looked like we might get the “feel-it-out” game we warned against. 12–12. Four ties. Old Westbury loose. Confident. Playing like a team with nothing to lose. Then the #1 seed decided to act like it.

YU ripped off a run, pushed it to 24–13, and never looked back. What was supposed to be a tense quarterfinal turned into a reminder that this group isn’t in the business of drama right now. They’re in the business of separation. Zevi Samet dropped 27 points as the Macs sent the Panthers into the offseason with a resounding 91-52 drubbing, advancing to the Skyline Conference semifinals against Purchase on Friday at noon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Panthers came out loose and confident, knotting the game up four times in the opening seven minutes. After the fourth tie at 12–12, YU flipped the switch and ripped off a decisive run to take control at 24–13.

• Old Westbury opened in a 3–2 zone to crowd the paint, but Samet found the soft spots early, knocking down shots and forcing the defense to stretch.

• With 3:01 left in the first half, YU had built a 36–17 cushion behind crisp ball movement and knockdown shooting from Oselka, Zakheim, and Itcovichi. The Macs entered the break firmly in command, 39–21.

• The Panthers adjusted to a box-and-one on Samet in the second half, but the strategy backfired as YU’s veterans carved it up — cutting, screening, and swinging the ball until clean looks appeared.

.• The lead ballooned methodically: 45–23 with 18:16 left, 64–34 with 11:07 remaining, and 79–38 with just over six minutes to go. Defensive discipline and rebounding prevented any hint of a comeback run.

• The margin peaked at 43 when Tom Valdman buried back-to-back threes late, putting an emphatic stamp on a 91–52 quarterfinal win and sending the top-seeded Macs into the Skyline Semifinals.

Max Zakheim and the Macs rolled past Old Westbury 92-51 in the Skyline quarterfinals and are onto the semifinals. (JJ Stein/Yeshiva Athletics)

YU Solved the Zone Immediately:

Old Westbury tried to dictate terms with a 3–2 zone, then pivoted to a box-and-one on Zevi Samet. YU didn’t panic. They spaced properly, moved the ball side to side, and attacked the gaps. Samet got comfortable early, and when the extra attention came, Oselka and Itcovichi made the Panthers pay. That’s veteran composure.

Possession Discipline on Both Ends:

Max “Red Rocket” Zakheim controlled tempo with nine assists, the ball reversed with purpose, and defensively, the Macs finished possessions with rebounds. Dovrat protected the rim, and second chances were minimal.

They Turned a Tie Game Into a Separation Fast:

At 12–12, this was still a game. Five minutes later, it wasn’t. The 24–13 surge flipped the tone entirely. From that point forward, YU played downhill — stretching the lead to 19 by halftime and methodically ballooning it to 40+. Good teams win. Top seeds create distance.

They Didn’t Rely on the Crowd, but Created Their Own Energy:

We talked all week about MSAC needing to be MSAC. The Adar chants and stomps were dormant. The building wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t what a 16–0, reigning champ, #1 seed quarterfinal should feel like. This group didn’t wait for juice from the stands. They generated it themselves — through stops, through ball movement, through veteran calm. If anything, it showed something important: this team isn’t dependent on atmosphere. They’re dependent on execution. Still, if this ride is going where it can go, the building needs to catch up to the standard the players have set.