MADISON, N.J. – The Yeshiva University men's basketball team opened the 2018-19 season with a heartbreaking loss to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, 69-68, at the Ferguson Recreation Center on Sunday afternoon. The Maccabees fall to 0-1, while the Devils even their record to 1-1.

Yeshiva led by as many as 16 in the second half and had a 12-point lead with under four minutes to play in regulation, but FDU closed the game with a 15-2 run to secure the comeback victory. Senior forward Tyler Christie hit the game-winning free throw for the Devils with 12 ticks left on the clock.

Yeshiva fell behind early in the game, but a layup by junior forward Daniel Katz capped off a 6-0 run by Yeshiva, giving the visiting team a 10-9 advantage. Later in the opening half, Yeshiva scored 11 unanswered points to take a commanding 28-16 lead, with 7:19 left to play before the break. To cap off the run, junior forward Kevin Bokor forced a steal and found second-year forward Gabriel Leifer who laid the ball up and in off a fast break. 

With less than three minutes remaining in the period, Leifer fed the ball to freshman guard Ryan Turell, who drained a three-point field goal to give YU its largest lead of the game, 42-24. The Devils countered with nine unanswered points in the final 2:25 of the half to pull to within single-digits, 42-33, at the intermission.

Yeshiva slowly built its lead back up in the second stanza, as a pair of free throws by Katz gave Yeshiva a 57-41 advantage with 11:38 remaining in regulation time. The Devils slowly chipped away at the Macs' lead, as senior guard Anthony Mitchell successfully converted a jump shot, while being fouled. He hit the free throw to complete the traditional three-point play, and narrow Yeshiva's lead to 59-50 with 7:34 remaining.

Yeshiva would temporarily hold off FDU's push, as Katz nailed a jump shot to put the visiting team back up by 12, at 66-54, with 4:11 to go. After the Devils hit a pair of free throws, junior guard Kenneth LaRocca drained a three-pointer during the home team's next offensive possession to shrink Yeshiva's lead to seven, at 66-59.

After sophomore guard Shawn Smith forced a steal, LaRocca drilled another shot from beyond the arc to pull FDU to within four, at 66-62, with 2:37 to go. Down by two, Christie hit a jump shot in the paint to even the game at 66. The Devils' momentum continued as Smith forced yet another steal and fed the ball to Mitchell, who was fouled. He drained two shots from the charity stripe to give FDU its first lead since the early stages of the opening half.

With the Macs down by two with 38 seconds remaining, Turell successfully converted a jump shot to tie the game, 68-68. However, Christie drew a foul on the next possession, sending him to the line with a chance to give FDU the lead. He missed the first free throw, but connected on the second, to put Yeshiva in a one-point hole with 12 seconds to go.

The Maccabees had one more chance but Turell's shot at the buzzer would not go in, and FDU earned the come-from-behind victory.

For the game, Leifer tied a game-high with 23 points, shooting 9-13 from the field in the process, while grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, and forcing two steals. Turell had a solid game in his collegiate debut, producing 17 points with five boards and a pair of dimes. Katz added 13 points, grabbed two boards, and generated two assists. Sophomore guard Eitan Halpert tied a game-high with five assists, while adding seven points and grabbing five caroms.

Yeshiva will return to the state of New Jersey on Wednesday, for a non-conference showdown with 2018 NCAA Final Four participant Ramapo College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.