TURNOVERTIME MACS GIVE ONE AWAY IN DOUBLE OT GUT-PUNCH:
- Chaim Stark
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Wow…
But not the good “Wow”.
Coming off a harsh loss the night before, the Yeshiva University Maccabees looked to earn a split of their Virginia road trip, which featured a tough back-to-back against two Top 15 opponents.
Instead of a split, Yeshiva suffered a brutal 90-89 Double Overtime defeat to the #15 University of Mary Washington Eagles in Fredericksburg, VA. Despite an extremely strong first half and controlled second, the Macs handed UMW a ticket to overtime, gifting the Eagles a pair of free possessions in the final seconds, thanks to two inbounding turnovers. Play in overtime was balanced, but when the dust settled, Yeshiva was defeated, despite a 39 point masterpiece from Zevi Samet. The Macs did a lot of great things in this game, but the end of regulation reminded us all: it ain’t over till it’s over.
How It Happened:
The pre-game scouting report against Mary Washington was that their defense struggled against guards. That was music to Coach Steinmetz and especially star Zevi Samet’s ears who kicked things off with a layup off the tip; a glimpse into the rest of the afternoon.
Early on the defensive side of the ball, the Macs employed an extremely effective zone defense. The Eagles couldn’t penetrate inside and had to settle for jump shots from the perimeter. Those jump shots didn’t go too well for UMW as they didn’t make their first three until the ten minute mark.
All throughout the first half, Yeshiva moved without the ball brilliantly, setting up easy layups and open threes. With all that energy, you would have never known they played just eighteen hours prior. That vigor, paired with Zevi Samet’s thirteen points in the first ten minutes gave the Macs an early eleven point lead.
That nice cushion, however, didn’t last long. Late in the first half, UMW’s star guard of their own, Kye Robinson, put the team on his back. Robinson’s offensive spark cut the lead to four as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Unfortunately for YU, the second half started like the first half ended; UMW’s offense came alive. Paired with some shaky perimeter shooting from the Macs, the Eagles went on a 17-6 scoring run to begin the half.
Samet, to this point, was quiet, so Yair Dovrat, Yoav Oselka, and Dothan Bardichev needed to come up big. They did. The Macs rallied to tie the game with 2:30 remaining. YU used their clear size advantage to grab offensive boards, and force their way inside.
With 1:20 remaining, Samet hit a floater, giving the Macs a 67-65 lead. A Yair Dovrat offensive rebound and putback, paired with a clutch Alex Kirievsky layup in transition extended the YU lead to 71-65.
With 13 seconds left, Kye Robinson hit a pair of free throws, notching 2 of his career high 38 points. The score was 71-67, Macs’ possession.
Now, if this was a horror movie, this is the juncture at which the ominous music would begin and your favorite character enters the locked room. You already know: it’s about to get crazy.
After the inbounds, the Macs threw an errant pass, giving Robinson an easy layup, cutting the lead to two. On the very next play, Yeshiva outdid themselves, throwing the away inbounds pass, again to Robinson, and he again converted on the layup. This one tied the game at 71 and sent the Mary Washington crowd into an utter frenzy.
Mary Washington had scored six points in ten seconds, and in the blink of an eye, the Macs were headed to overtime in a game that should have been over.
Overtime began with a Kaden Bates three, who had 23 points, as well as five rebounds for the Eagles. In fact, the Eagles controlled overtime early taking a six point lead following a Robinson and-one layup
The Macs battled and got the game to within three. With 25.5 ticks to go, Yair Dovrat hit a massive game tying three, and after a Robinson missed floater at the buzzer, the game went to double overtime.
The Macs, clearly frustrated with their inability to put the game away, came out hot, and took the early lead.
With 1:19 remaining in double overtime, Samet was fouled during a three point attempt. He calmly hit all three from the line, and the Macs were up two, 87-85.
The Eagles tied it with two free throws of their own, and after back-to-back defensive stops on either end. The Macs the ball with a chance to win. As just 5.6 ticks remained, Samet found himself at the charity stripe yet again. The All-American guard seemed to return to his former self as he nailed both free throws. The Macs led 89-88, but the door was open for UMW.
Coming out of a timeout, the ball was inbounded to Kye Robinson, and he put the exclamation point on an absolutely wild game, nailing a pull up jumper with 0.8 remaining.
The Macs had one final chance, but Dovrat couldn’t hit a tough, contested net drive as time expired.
Samet vs. Robinson: Pass the Popcorn:
The biggest, most entertaining storyline from today’s game was without a doubt the battle between the star guards on either side. Zevi Samet for YU and Kye Robinson for UMW. Samet scored early and often, exploding for 24 first half points. He ended with 39 on an efficient 48% from the field, as well as a pristine 90% mark from the free throw line. When the Macs needed a big shot, or a spark, Samet was the man everybody looked to get the ball to. On the other side, Kye Robinson erupted for the Eagles, scoring 38 points, including three of the biggest plays of the game. Robinson was the beneficiary of the Macs late collapse, netting back-to-back layups, tying the game at the end of regulation. He also hit the game’s biggest shot, a pull-up free throw line jumper with 0.8 seconds remaining, sealing the victory for Mary Washington. The battle between these two guards was a treat to watch, as there were points in the game where the 2 would exchange big baskets. Throughout the game, it felt like the player who came up with the bigger moment would win it for his team, and unfortunately for Samet and the Macs, Robinson called the game in double overtime.
13 Seconds: An Eternity in a Moment:
It appeared over. Alex Kirievsky hit a huge layup, extending the Macs lead to six, and with just thirteen seconds remaining, you could almost pencil in the first notch in the win column for YU, and envisioned a happy ride back home.
But just as you went to your scorebook to record the W, the pencil broke.
As you were scrambling to find a sharpener you looked up with shock and horror, as the Mary Washington Eagles tied the game.
It comes down to this: inbounds are not to be taken for granted, and at all costs, with a late lead, you have to protect the basketball. Following two Robinson free throws, the Macs got the ball in bounds, but panicked, throwing an errant pass, which Robinson swallowed, and deposited into the hoop. The lead shrunk to two.
All the Macs had to do was get the ball in bounds, get fouled, make their free throws, and they’d be home free.
Instead, the inbound pass was thrown away, again to Robinson, and he tied the game.
The little things in basketball are so integral; every rebound, foul, step and evidently, in bound, are crucial. The Macs couldn’t do the little things late, and it led to their demise.
These things can be practiced, but at the end of the day, it comes down to execution, and the Maccabees did not execute today.
Stats:
Zevi Samet exploded, netting 39 points on 48% shooting
Yair Dovrat added 16 points, 6 rebounds and a block, including a huge game tying three in the first overtime
Also in double figures was Yoav Oselka, who was one rebound shy of a double-double. He had 10 points, 9 rebounds and a block.
Up Next:
The Macs return home following this two game Virginia road trip. They will face #1 Trinity CT on Thursday at 8:00 PM in the Max Stern Athletics Center, before heading up north to face #4 Tufts University on Sunday at 12:00 PM in Massachusetts.