BOX SCORE

MONTCLAIR, NJ - Coming out on top in a thrilling first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Yeshiva Men's Basketball Team edged Bates College, downing the Bobcats in literally the last second by a score of 71-69 on Friday, Mar. 6th.
 
The Maccabees were led by their high-flying guard Zevi Samet, with the Skyline Player of the Year putting up 27 points, shooting 7-13 from beyond the arc. With that mark, Samet has officially passed 2,500 career points, with his total now sitting at 2,505.
 
Both Yair Dovrat and Yoav Oselka also tallied stellar numbers, both reaching double digits with 13 and 11 points respectively.
 
With scoring well in hand, Roy Itcovichi dominated the glass for YU, pulling down a season-high 12 rebounds, including five in the offensive paint.
 
This win marks the first time the Maccabees have picked up an NCAA Tournament victory since the 2019-20 season. The result pushes YU's overall record out to 21-8, and moves them on to the round of 32.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite a slow start for both offenses, with the game tied at 7-all through the first seven minutes, the Yeshiva attack inevitably caught fire. Catalyzed by seven straight points from Samet, YU quickly secured a comfortable lead, pushing their advantage into double digits at 27-16 with 5:42 remaining.
 
Proving why they are one of the 64 best teams in all of DIII, Bates struck back, shrinking the Maccabees' edge down to five at 29-24. However, Samet simply could not be denied. Back-to-back circus threes combined with a pair of Max Zakheim free throws pushed YU's lead back out past 10 points, with the Macs carrying a comfortable 39-28 cushion into the break.
 
While Yeshiva was the one out to a hot start, both squads had been labeled as "second half teams" by the experts, with the question of who would maximize the latter 20 minutes of play remaining hot on everyone's minds. Initially, it looked like the answer was Bates.
 
YU's smooth, flashy attack initially held strong, with their lead reaching a zenith of 13 points behind triples from Samet and Dovrat. However, the Bobcats' hardnose press soon began to wear away at the margin separating the two programs. Yeshiva's edge shrank into the single digits at 49-41 with 14:05 left, was reduced to five points at 55-50 with 10:46 left, and was finally eliminated completely when a Bates three shunted the Maccabees down at 61-60, as the clock read 5:52 remaining.
 
However, a team forged in the fire of adversity, the men bearing the Maccabee patch were ready to respond. The lead flipped back and forth twice over the next five minutes, resting briefly in YU's favor at 69-67 as the clock passed the minute mark, before a Bates layup tied the game at 69-all with just 18 ticks left.
 
What happened next had to be seen to be believed. Dribbling down the court, Samet put up a three with six seconds remaining, with the shot rimming out. Bates snagged the rebound, quickly drove down the court, and put up a buzzer-beating layup, which missed, but seemingly sent the game into overtime. However, as he was going for the rebound, Zakheim was fouled with just 0.2 seconds left, and since Bates had six fouls, the Red Rocket went to the line to shoot one-and-one. The Skyline Tournament MVP walked up to the charity stripe. First shot. Good. Second shot. Good. Bates' last second heave. Miss. Game over. Yeshiva 71, Bates 69. The crowd, made up of 90% Maccabee faithful, goes ballistic.
 
MAC LEADERS
Points: Samet (27), Dovrat (13), Oselka (11)
Assists: Dovrat (5), Samet (3), Bardichev (1)
Rebounds: Itcovichi (12), Dovrat (5), Zakheim (5)
Steals: Oselka (2), Samet (2), Itcovichi (1), Zakheim (1), Bardichev (1)
Blocks: Oselka (1), Zakheim (1)
 
UP NEXT
Having won their first round contest, the Maccabees advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They will face off against the University of Maine-Farmington on Saturday, Mar. 7th at 9:00 PM.

Written by Yeshiva's Athletic Communications Department