PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University women's basketball team suffered a hard-fought Skyline loss to Purchase College, 74-71, at the Purchase College Gymnasium on Thursday evening. The Maccabees drop to 3-3 in the conference and 5-4 overall, while the Panthers advance to 3-2 in Skyline play and 4-5 in general. 

Leading the Macs in scoring was junior forward Tehilla Teigman who produced 22 points and brought down seven rebounds. Senior guard Nicole Bick scored 19 points with six boards. Fourth-year forward Michal Alge brought down a game-high 13 rebounds, while scoring nine points.

"It's not the result we wanted, but I am pleased with the way the team is improving," Yeshiva University head coach Michael Alon said. "Playing a close game down the stretch in a hostile event will help this team get stronger moving forward."

Yeshiva got off to a strong start, scoring nine unanswered points to take a 13-6 lead, just over four minutes into the contest. Bick capped off the run with a 3-point field goal off a feed from sophomore forward Celia Cohen. After Purchase rallied to pull to within three, Yeshiva generated a 13-2 run to take a commanding 26-12 lead, with 1:12 remaining in the period. The highlight of Yeshiva's rally was a successful shot from beyond the arc by Teigman from the corner that went off the glass, putting the Macs up by eight at the time.

Yeshiva had a 14-point lead, but a 3-point shot by senior guard Amber Jones with five ticks on the clock narrowed the Panthers' deficit to 26-15, and that would be the score at the end of the quarter.

Purchase took complete control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring Yeshiva by a 20-9 margin in the 10-minute frame. The game was tied, 35-35, at the half. 

Less than three minutes into the third quarter, Teigman nailed a jump shot to put YU back in front, 39-38. After Purchase grabbed the lead, Teigman grabbed an offensive rebound and successfully converted a layup to tie the game, 41-41, with 5:54 remaining in the period. Later in the quarter, Purchase once again had a two-point lead. Teigman successfully executed a pair of shots from the charity stripe to tie the game, 48-48, with 2:16 left in the third.

Purchase once again went on a run, scoring eight out of the game's next nine points to take a 56-49 advantage. Teigman would stop the Panthers' momentum by laying the ball up and in at the buzzer, to narrow YU's deficit to five after 30 minutes of play.

Yeshiva fell behind by as many as seven in the fourth quarter. The Maccabees would not do down without a fight, as a pair of free throws by Cohen capped off a 4-0 run and pulled YU to within three, at 60-57, with 7:39 remaining in regulation time. With Yeshiva down by five once again, Bick fed the ball to sophomore guard Chana Boltax, who drained a 3-point field goal to narrow Purchase's lead to 62-60 with 7:08 remaining.

Less than six minutes remaining, and Yeshiva down by two, Bick converted a layup while being fouled. She hit the shot from the charity stripe to complete the traditional 3-point play and give Yeshiva a 63-62 advantage. After the home team regained the lead, Yeshiva scored five unanswered points. Bick started the rally with a 3-pointer to give YU a one-point lead, and then sophomore forward Lindsay Brandwein successfully converted a jump shot on Yeshiva's next possession to give the Blue and White a 70-67 advantage with 3:42 left to play. The Panthers answered by scoring six points in a row to go back out in front, 73-70, with 2:04 left. Teigman nailed a free throw to pull YU to within two with 1:15 remaining.

With 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, freshman forward Shadai Plowden converted a free throw to increase Purchase's lead to three, at 74-71. Yeshiva had one more chance to tie the game, but Purchase's strong pressure on defense did not allow the Maccabees to get off a shot and the buzzer sounded. The Panthers earned the hard-fought victory, 74-71.

For the game, Cohen and Brandwein each scored six points, with the former grabbing eight rebounds and distributing two assists and the latter bringing down six caroms and dishing out four assists. Boltax scored five points with two assists, while sophomore guard Adina Rosenberg produced four points. Freshman forward Elizabeth Pavel brought down two rebounds.

For Purchase, Jones scored 31 points with six assists and four rebounds.

Yeshiva will travel to Farmingdale State, on Tuesday, for a Skyline battle against the Rams. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.