2008 Woodie Awards
Basketball Wraps Up Season
Akiva Weinerkur
Issue date: 3/8/05 Section: Sports
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Everything seemed right in the Macs' world as recently as February 14 when Stevens Tech came to town. Roy Goldstein led the way with 27 points and 7 rebounds, and using their stifling 2-3 zone defense to maximum effect, Yeshiva held its opponent to a woeful 13-56 (23.2 %) shooting performance. Center Harel Vatavu was a menace against the Stevens Ducks, blocking three shots and spearheading a late 20-4 run to break open what was a close game, giving the Macs a 64-37 win, their largest margin of victory of the season. Making the win especially satisfying for the Macs was that Stevens had handed them their worst defeat of the season (18 points) way back in the season's second game.
The win left the Macs at 8-5 in the conference (13-8 overall) and placed them in prime position to host a quarterfinal game in the Skyline Conference Tournament, something that Coach Halpert had set as a major goal for the team.
But the good times rolled to a screeching halt before the Macs next game when news came that Vatavu had aggravated his back, and would be unable to play for the rest of the season.
Life without Harel began poorly for the already undersized Macs with Old Westbury racing to a 29-19 halftime lead. But Yeshiva returned from the break with a vengeance, using a 12-0 spurt to regain the lead, while holding Old Westbury scoreless for over nine minutes to begin the half. Neither team was able to take a lead greater than 3 points for the next ten minutes, and Yitzy Ribald's three gave the Macs 42-41 lead with 2 minutes. But Russell Brereton, who had a game high 26 points, immediately put the Panthers back ahead with a layup, and Goldstein compounded the Macs deficit by turning the ball over which led to another easy basket. The Macs proceeded to turn the ball over again and a pair of Brereton free throws put the proverbial nail in the Macs coffin, giving Westbury a 47-42 victory, and handing Yeshiva a rare loss in the Max Stern Athletic Center.
Goldstein had led the Macs with a pedestrian (by his lofty standards) 19 points, and Senior Rafi Halpert's 8 points and 10 boards, his finest performance of the season, allowed the Macs to hang around until the contest's closing seconds.
The win left the Macs at 8-5 in the conference (13-8 overall) and placed them in prime position to host a quarterfinal game in the Skyline Conference Tournament, something that Coach Halpert had set as a major goal for the team.
But the good times rolled to a screeching halt before the Macs next game when news came that Vatavu had aggravated his back, and would be unable to play for the rest of the season.
Life without Harel began poorly for the already undersized Macs with Old Westbury racing to a 29-19 halftime lead. But Yeshiva returned from the break with a vengeance, using a 12-0 spurt to regain the lead, while holding Old Westbury scoreless for over nine minutes to begin the half. Neither team was able to take a lead greater than 3 points for the next ten minutes, and Yitzy Ribald's three gave the Macs 42-41 lead with 2 minutes. But Russell Brereton, who had a game high 26 points, immediately put the Panthers back ahead with a layup, and Goldstein compounded the Macs deficit by turning the ball over which led to another easy basket. The Macs proceeded to turn the ball over again and a pair of Brereton free throws put the proverbial nail in the Macs coffin, giving Westbury a 47-42 victory, and handing Yeshiva a rare loss in the Max Stern Athletic Center.
Goldstein had led the Macs with a pedestrian (by his lofty standards) 19 points, and Senior Rafi Halpert's 8 points and 10 boards, his finest performance of the season, allowed the Macs to hang around until the contest's closing seconds.