Zevi Samet Drops record-breaking 52 as YU romps USMMA

Ryan Turell saw it coming before anyone else did. He watched Zevi Samet as a freshman and said it out loud: “This kid is going to break all my records.”Two weeks ago, Samet took the program scoring crown.on Saturday night? He went even further — 52 points in 29 minutes, the most ever in a single game at YU.

By the time he was done, the Maccabees had done more than overwhelm the United States Merchant Marine Academy in a 110–72 win — the 11-0 Skyline Conference boys had also clinched a first-round home playoff game on February 24. One performance delivered both history and positioning, the kind of night that shifts a season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Yeshiva wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to a 15–4 lead in the opening three minutes as the offense clicked immediately.

• United States Merchant Marine Academy responded with a push of their own, briefly grabbing a 21–19 edge, but that would be the closest they’d get all night.

• Zevi Samet took over, scoring nine straight points to flip momentum back in YU’s favor and spark a run that re-established control.

• Just five minutes later, the Maccabees were back up double digits at 36–26, and the game’s rhythm firmly belonged to Yeshiva.

• Strong shooting from Samet, Max Zakheim, and Yoav Oselka continued to widen the gap, sending the Macs into halftime with a commanding 54–32 lead.

• The second half opened with no letup, as YU kept its foot on the gas and stretched the margin to 30 points with 12:15 remaining.

• The lead grew to 40 points at the 10:10 mark, turning the conference matchup into a full-scale blowout.

• With 8:24 left, Yeshiva pushed the advantage to 50, the moment punctuated by Samet’s record-breaking three that delivered points 50, 51, and 52.

• From there, the Macs emptied the bench, shared minutes, and comfortably closed out a 110–72 historic victory at the Max Stern Athletic Center.

Zevi Samet broke the game open — and never let it breathe:

This wasn’t just hot shooting; it was control. When Merchant Marine briefly grabbed momentum, Samet responded with nine straight points and completely reset the tone of the night. His shot-making stretched the defense beyond its limits, forced constant help, and turned every possession into a dilemma. Once he found rhythm, the game tilted permanently in Yeshiva’s favor.

Offensive balance turned a run into a rout:

While Samet led the charge, the supporting cast made sure it never became predictable. Yoav Oselka’s 20 points punished single coverage, Max Zakheim spaced the floor and finished efficiently, and the ball kept moving. Merchant Marine couldn’t load up on one option, and that balance is what allowed YU’s early lead to snowball into a blowout.

Relentless pace and discipline for 40 minutes:

Up big — and then up bigger — Yeshiva never took its foot off the gas. The Macs defended, ran, and executed the same way whether the lead was 10 or 40. That consistency is what turned a competitive early stretch into a second-half avalanche and speaks to a group that knows exactly who it is in conference play.

UP NEXT:

The Macs travel to Maritime on Wednesday (2/4). Tip-off is at 7:00PM