PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Yeshiva University men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking Skyline Conference loss to the Purchase College Panthers on Thursday evening at the Purchase College Gymnasium, by a score of 67-65. The loss drops the Maccabees' record to 4-5 (3-3 Skyline) and raises the Panthers to 6-2 (3-1 Skyline).
 
The thriller ended in Purchase's favor, as Tarik Allicock threw down a dunk as the clock expired.
 
The first half was kept close, with the Panthers leading at most by eight and the Macs by six. The Maccabees led through the first eight minutes of the contest, 10-9, until Purchase went on a 5-0 run. In response, junior forward Tal Gweta would sink a 3-pointer, to cut the Panthers' lead to one. Purchase followed up with a 3-pointer of their own, which would be answered by a layup courtesy of sophomore forward Kevin Bokor. From there, Purchase added another three, retaliated by a 3-pointer from junior guard Justin Hod, who would score the Macs' next five points. Sophomore forward Bar Alluf would tie the game at 25-25 via a layup, with just over four minutes to go in the half. Purchase ended the half on a 10-2 run, and a 39-31 lead.
 
In the second half, Halpert converted a shot from beyond the arc to cap off a 5-0 run for YU, narrowing Purchase's lead to 39-36. Later in the period, Yeshiva scored eight unanswered points, capped off by a 3-pointer by Halpert, to tie the game 48-48, with 9:43 remaining in regulation time. After the Panthers jumped out to the lead again, Halpert scored YU's next five points to shrink the Macs' deficit to one, at 56-55. On the next offensive possession, Justin Hod found Gweta, who laid the ball up and in to give Yeshiva a 57-56 lead, with 6:25 left to play.
 
The home team countered by scoring seven unanswered points to take 63-57 advantage. With less than a minute remaining, Halpert drained yet another 3-pointer, to tie the game at 65-65, capping off an 8-2 run by YU. On the Panthers' next possession, Gweta forced a steal. Yeshiva could not score the game-winning basket on the offensive possession, giving Purchase a chance to win it. The Panthers took advantage as Allicock's buzzer-beating dunk clinched the Skyline win for the home team.
 
For the game, sophomore forward Bar Alluf notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He also dished out two assists and blocked a shot. Halpert scored 16 points of his own, with four rebounds, two assists, and a block. Justin Hod added 13 points, brought down two caroms, distributed an assist, and forced a steal.
 
Gweta scored 12 points, grabbed two boards, blocked a shot, and forced a steal, while sophomore guard Tyler Hod tied a team-high with four assists, brought down a rebound, and had a steal. Classmate Daniel Katz also had four assists, with two points, six rebounds, and a steal. Junior forward Michael Hayon had four points, three rebounds, just as many assists, and one block. Bokor had one assist to go along with his two points.
 
Yeshiva will return to the friendly confines of the Max Stern Athletic Center on Saturday evening, for a Skyline game against Maritime College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. It will also be Alumni Night as pizza and doughnuts will be served and t-shirts will be provided.