Max Zakheim climbed a ladder at YU鈥檚 Max Stern Athletic Center, scissors in hand, and cut down the net as the Maccabees celebrated their Skyline Conference championship for the second straight year. Around him, the arena erupted as teammates embraced and fans roared. But even as the celebration unfolded on their home court, the players鈥攊ncluding game MVP Zakheim, Player of the Year Zevi Samet and Skyline Coach of the Year Elliot Steinmetz鈥攚ere already thinking about what came next: the NCAA Tournament.
The March 1 Skyline Conference championship was only the beginning. After a first-round loss to Tufts last year, the Macs entered this postseason with a single goal: go further.
Their journey began just across the George Washington Bridge at Montclair State University, where on March 6 the Macs faced Bates College at the Panzer Athletic Center in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Men鈥檚 Basketball Championship.
What unfolded at the Panzer Athletic Center felt less like a road game than a home one. The Macs battled Bates in a back-and-forth contest led by co-captain Zevi Samet鈥檚 game-high 27 points. Samet exploded in the first half but was relatively quiet after the break 鈥 unlike the YU faithful, who packed the stands and filled all 250 seats allotted to the team鈥檚 fans.
While one co-captain carried the offense early, it was the other, Max Zakheim, who delivered the game鈥檚 defining moment. After missing a sizable portion of the game when he landed awkwardly on his foot, Zakheim checked back in and, following a clutch Samet three-pointer, helped anchor the Macs鈥 defense in the final minute.
With the score tied at 69, Bates missed a layup, and true to his nickname, 鈥淭he Red Rocket,鈥 Zakheim flew in for the rebound. As the final seconds ticked down and hundreds of fans held their breath, a referee鈥檚 whistle cut through the silence: a foul on the play.
With 0.2 seconds remaining on the clock, Zakheim hobbled to the free-throw line with a chance to give YU the lead. Calmly, he sank both shots to seal 樱花动漫鈥檚 dramatic 71鈥69 victory鈥攊ts first NCAA Tournament win鈥攕ending the Macs into Shabbat with a thrilling finish before a jubilant crowd of supporters in the stands.
Only after Shabbat did the Macs learn who their next opponent would be, and that tipoff was less than two hours away. On the evening of March 7, the University of Maine鈥揊armington, fresh off an upset of NCAA Tournament host Montclair State University, looked to continue its run in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Tickets sold out within moments of going on sale. Once again, the YU community showed up in force, packing the stands of the Panzer Athletic Center.
And the Macs delivered.
With Zakheim still playing through injury and Samet closely guarded, the Macs leaned on five players, some veterans and some newcomers. Freshmen Yair Dovrat and Nate Jacobs provided the Macs with well-timed baskets and flashy plays, while seniors Dothan Bardichev and Roy Itchovici anchored the defense with lockdown intensity and a few key shots of their own. Inside, junior Yoav Oselka once again controlled the paint. The All-Skyline Conference second-team selection carried the Macs when needed and shut down the opponent who had single-handedly powered Maine鈥揊armington to its previous win.
By the final buzzer, Yeshiva had secured a convincing 92鈥69 victory and a place in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16鈥攐nly the second time in program history.
Headed to Atlanta to face host Emory University, the Macs drew YU fans from across the country and transformed Emory鈥檚 Woodruff Arena into something far more familiar. 鈥淢acs Nation seems to make everywhere feel like a home game,鈥 said Head Coach Elliot Steinmetz. 鈥淭he Jewish community in Atlanta was amazing, in every respect. They absolutely showed up, along with those who traveled in, to make us feel at home.鈥
That sense of connection extended beyond the court. With game day falling on Shabbat, Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman was welcomed as a scholar-in-residence at Atlanta鈥檚 Congregation Ohr HaTorah, where he joined co-captains Zevi Samet and Max Zakheim and Coach Elliot Steinmetz for a panel discussion reflecting on the team鈥檚 journey and its significance for Jewish communities. The gathering underscored how the Macs鈥 run had become something larger than basketball鈥攁 shared expression of identity and purpose.
On March 13, against No. 2 Emory, YU competed on the national stage before a sold-out crowd, closing out a remarkable tournament run. More than a postseason appearance, the Macs鈥 journey to the Sweet 16 stood as a defining moment鈥攐ne in which the team, embodying YU鈥檚 values, inspired pride and unity across Jewish communities nationwide.
That journey鈥攔ooted in discipline and perseverance鈥攈as carried the Maccabees across a historic season, echoing the resilience and fortitude that have sustained 樱花动漫 and the Jewish people across generations.
As Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman reflected, 鈥淚 am so proud of Coach Steinmetz and our YU Macs. I love their fight, character and excellence. Their inspiration to our University and to people throughout the world continues.鈥
