Macs Shecht Rams, Separate Themselves Atop Skyline
- Marvin Azrak
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
There’s a moment in Akidat Yitzchak when everything feels unbearable — the climb, the silence, the weight of what’s about to happen. And then, suddenly, it’s over. The ram appears. The tension breaks. The outcome is decided not in chaos, but in clarity.
Saturday night at the Max Stern Athletic Center followed that same arc.
It was a meeting of two unbeaten Skyline teams. A rivalry that hasn’t cooled off since last March.
Then the game started—and Yeshiva ensured tonight wouldn’t be a changing of the guard. From the opening possessions, The Macs didn’t survive Farmingdale. They shechted them. An emphatic 84–60 win sent a clear message across the Skyline: when you come at the champs, you better not miss. The reigning champions are now 9-0 and are firmly the lone undefeated team in the Conference.
How It Happened:
Yeshiva set the tone immediately. Yoav Oselka scored inside on the opening possessions, Roy Itcovichi attacked the rim with confidence, and a Yair Dovrat three pushed the Macs out to a 10-2 lead less than three minutes in, forcing an early Farmingdale timeout. The freshman wasn’t done. Dovrat knocked down two more triples in the opening five minutes, igniting the crowd and stretching the lead to 15-5 as the Macs played with pace and purpose.
Oselka dominated the glass, finishing a putback to make it 24-9 with 11:41 remaining in the first half. Moments later, Zevi Samet buried a three off an inbound while drawing a foul, completing a four-point play that pushed the margin to 28-11.
Farmingdale responded late in the half, trimming the deficit, but Yeshiva stayed composed and went into the locker room holding a 36-27 advantage.
The Macs ramped up the intensity coming out of halftime. Max Zakheim opened the second half with a three, and Samet followed with back-to-back step-back jumpers that ignited the crowd and extended the lead to 51–36.
Out of a timeout, Samet struck again, and Dovrat continued his hot shooting as Yeshiva’s lead ballooned past 20. The Macs knocked down 13 threes and counting as Farmingdale struggled to keep up.
Yeshiva’s defense took over midway through the second half, forcing contested kick-outs, chasing shooters off the line, and holding Farmingdale scoreless for four minutes.
With the Rams visibly worn down, contributions from Noam Edri and Johnny Dan helped the Macs close the night strong, cruising to an 84–60 rout at the Max Stern Athletic Center.
Macs removed the chaos before it could exist:
Farmingdale thrives when games turn emotional — quick runs, long rebounds, momentum swings. Yeshiva never let it get there. From the opening minutes, the Macs played with pace, but not haste, controlling possessions and answering every Rams push with calm execution. By the time Farmingdale tried to speed things up, the game was already out of reach.
Balance broke Farmingdale’s defensive shell:
Zevi Samet was excellent — as expected — but this wasn’t a one-person show. Yoav Oselka controlled the interior, Roy Itcovichi attacked downhill, and Yair Dovrat punished every late rotation with his shooting. The result was constant pressure from multiple spots on the floor, forcing Farmingdale to defend everything instead of loading up on one option.
Defensive discipline turned separation into domination:
Yeshiva’s defense was the difference between a win and a statement. The Macs chased shooters off screens, closed out under control, and forced drive-and-kick possessions that led nowhere. Farmingdale went extended stretches without scoring, including a four-minute drought in the second half, as YU’s precision on the defensive end turned a competitive matchup into a rout.
Stats:
Yair Dovrat 22 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds
Zevi 21 points, 5 rebounds
Yoav Oselka 9 points , 8 rebounds 8 assists
Max Zakheim 8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Roy Itcovich 7 points, 7 rebounds
UP NEXT:
Next up for the Macs is a road trip to ST Joseph’s Long Island. Tip-Off is at 7:00PM.
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