BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University men's basketball team earned a Skyline Conference win over St. Joseph's College Brooklyn, 79-67, at the Hill Center on Tuesday evening. Yeshiva now advances to 2-0 in Skyline play, and 3-2 overall, while St. Joseph's Brooklyn drops to 1-1 in league play, and 2-3 overall.
 
Leading the way for Yeshiva was sophomore forward Daniel Katz, who scored a career-high 22 points, including 9-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while bringing down seven rebounds and distributing a pair of assists. Sophomore guard Simcha Halpert added 17 points and also grabbed seven caroms, while dishing out five assists and forcing a steal. Junior guard Justin Hod scored a career-high 15 points, drilling three 3-point baskets in the process, while grabbing two rebounds and adding an assist.
 
The key point of the game came in the first half, as Yeshiva went on a 20-2 run in a span of 8:40 to take a commanding 25-10 lead. Halpert, Justin Hod, junior guard Tal Gweta, and sophomore guard Tyler Hod each drained a 3-point field goal during Yeshiva's rally.
 
Later in the first half, Katz successfully converted a shot from beyond the arc to give Yeshiva its largest lead of the game, 36-14, with 4:41 remaining in the opening period. The Bears would finish the half strong, by going on a 14-5 run to cut YU's lead to 41-28 at the intermission.
 
St. Joseph's Brooklyn carried its momentum into the second half, as the home team scored 13 of the period's first 17 points to shrink Yeshiva's lead to 45-41, with 16:26 remaining in regulation time. Halpert responded by draining a timely 3-pointer to put YU back up by seven. That would begin a 10-0 run for the Maccabees, capped off by a 3-pointer from Katz, to extend the Macs' lead to 55-41, with 14:05 left to play.
 
After the Bears scored four straight point to pull to within 10, the Maccabees responded by scoring seven unanswered points, capped off by a successfully converted layup by Justin Hod, to put the visiting team up 62-45, with 9:54 remaining in the second half.
 
Later in the period, St. Joseph's Brooklyn narrowed Yeshiva's lead to 69-61. The Maccabees would once again cut off the Bears' momentum by scoring five straight points, capped off by a 3-pointer from sophomore forward Bar Alluf. That put Yeshiva up, 74-61, with 3:03 remaining.
 
The Bears got back to within single-digits, at 76-67, with 1:11 remaining. Katz extended Yeshiva's lead on the next possession by converting a layup, while being fouled. He hit the free throw to complete the three-point play to all but clinch the victory for YU. The Maccabees went on to win the game, 79-67.
 
For the contest, Yeshiva shot 55.2 percent from the field, and went 14-for-26 from 3-point range. Gweta scored eight points, distributed a game-high six assists, and brought down three rebounds. Alluf produced six points with five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore forward Kevin Bokor had six points, three assists, two boards, and a blocked shot. Tyler Hod added a rebound to go along with his three points, while junior forward Michael Hayon scored two points, forced just as many steals, had four rebounds, and produced three assists.
 
Yeshiva will once again play a Skyline road game on Thursday, as the Maccabees will battle the Knights of Mount Saint Mary College. Tip-off at the Kaplan Center is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.