Yeshiva Takes Home #SkylineMBB Title - Mar 2, 2020
Yeshiva University forward Gabriel Leifer (6'5''-F) registered a triple-double with 16 points and game-highs of 24 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday afternoon at the Max Stern Athletic Center, leading the top-seeded and 15th-ranked Maccabees to the 2020 Skyline Conference Men's Basketball Championship title with an 86-74 decision over second-seeded Purchase College. With the victory, head coach Elliot Steinmetz 's Yeshiva side (27-1), who have won 27-consecutive games and picked up their second conference title in the last three seasons, have earned the Skyline's automatic bid into next week's 2020 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The 64-team field will be announced Monday at 12:30 p.m. ET via an online selection show at ncaa.com. The Macs' Ryan Turell (6'7''-G) scored 23 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, while Eitan Halpert (5'11''-PG) came off the bench to score 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The visiting Panthers (18-10) nearly received a triple-double from Elijah Lott (6'3''-G), who went the distance en route to 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Maxx Miller (6'5''-G) added 16 points and three blocked shots, while Jorden Means (6'2''-G) and Andre Peguero (6'7''-C) added 12 markers apiece. Purchase hit its first four shots on the day, and scored on its first five possessions, en route to a 13-3 advantage on Lott's fastbreak lay-in 4:05 into play. From there, the next 18 points went to YU, which held a 21-13 edge midway through the stanza on Ofek Reef (6'1''-G)'s steal and lay-in. Two free throws by Turell and a trey in the final 10 seconds by SimcHa Halpert (6'3''-G) sent the hosts to a 55-39 advantage at the halftime break. The Panthers switched primarily to a man-to-man defense in the second half, and held Yeshiva to an 11-for-31 (.355) shooting performance in the final 20-minute stanza -- including an 0-for-7 effort from beyond the arc. A late 12-3 run brought PC to within a 75-65 count with 5:05 remaining, before Means's conventional 3-point play cut the deficit to 81-72 with 2:01 to go. Eitan Halpert then converted his own conventional 3-point play, before a pair of free throws by Leifer iced the game in the final minute of play. Skyline Tournament Final: Purchase - Yeshiva 74-86 Skyline Tournament Semifinals: Purchase - Sarah Lawrence 81-67 Yeshiva - Farmingdale State 74-69
All-Tournament MVP: Gabriel Leifer (6'5''-F) of Yeshiva Player of the Year: Ryan Turell (6'7''-G) of Yeshiva Defensive Player of the Year: Jermaine Fraser (6'5''-F) of Farmingdale St. Rookie of the Year: Ofek Reef (6'1''-G) of Yeshiva Coach of the Year: Elliot Steinmetz of Yeshiva
Steinmetz
