NEW YORK – The Yeshiva University women's basketball team earned a key Skyline Conference victory by defeating Farmingdale State College, 84-59, at ARC Arena on Saturday evening. Yeshiva advances to 2-5 overall, and 2-4 in Skyline play, while Farmingdale drops to 3-5 for the season, and 2-2 against league competition.

The key stretch for the Maccabees was scoring 11 unanswered points in the first quarter to inflate their lead to 22-6. That put the game out of reach for the Rams.

As a team, the Maccabees shot 52.5% (32-for-61) from the field, including 43.5% (10-for-23) from 3-point range. The Macs' defense held the Rams to just 25.0% shooting (17-for-68) overall and 18.2% (4-for-22) from beyond the arc. YU also had the advantage on the boards, 44-37.  
"We are at our best when we share the ball on offense and play great helping defense," Yeshiva University Head Coach Bill Zatulskis said. "We did that tonight and the results speak for themselves. The Macs are on the rise!"

Five Yeshiva players reached double-figures in scoring. In her season debut, junior guard Daniella Bessler led all players with 19 points off the bench, while snatching seven rebounds, delivering four assists, and collecting a pair of steals. Senior guard Yuval Nitzan netted 15 points, distributed seven assists, had just as many rebounds, and forced five steals.

Classmate Daniella Rothman notched her second double-double in a row for the Maccabees, and third of the season, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while blocking two shots. Senior forward Gabrielle Kupferman had a solid game with 12 points, seven boards, and two assists, while junior guard Shai Rahamim generated 12 points, three assists, just as many steals, and a pair of rebounds.

The Rams scored first in the contest on a layup from junior forward Tiffany Sosa. Yeshiva responded with a successful jump shot from Kupferman that tied the game, and then a 3-point field goal from rookie guard Abigail Koenig that put the Macs in front for good, with 6:11 remaining in the opening quarter.

Later in the stanza, Yeshiva had a five-point lead, at 11-6, and then completely took the game over by scoring 11 unanswered points in a span of 1:48. Kupferman began the game-altering blitz with a layup and then Bessler concluded it with a successful shot inside the paint to pad YU's benefit to 22-6 with 1:29 left to play. The first period ended with YU up, 27-11.

The Maccabees led by as many as 40 before earning the important conference win, 84-49.

For YU, Koenig had a solid game with six points, five assists, three steals, and a pair of rebounds. Rookie guard Jasmin Maly-Danker scored three points, grabbed a board, and tallied a helper. Freshman guard Mia Denti scored two points and snatched four caroms. Senior guard Nina Yurovsky brought down a rebound.

For Farmingdale, freshman forward Lissette Cordero and Sosa each scored 10 points, with the former grabbing eight rebounds, forcing five steals, blocking two shots, and having just as many assists.

Yeshiva will take on College of Mount Saint Vincent, in a Skyline battle at Peter Jay Sharp Center, on Monday evening. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m.