THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University women's basketball team closed out the 2018-19 season with a hard-fought Skyline loss to Farmingdale State, 67-66, at Riesenberg Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The Rams will enter the Skyline Conference championships as the No. 6 seed, finishing the regular season with a record of 9-9 in the conference and 9-16 overall. The Maccabees conclude the year with a 3-15 record in Skyline play, and 6-18 for the season.

Yeshiva had a one-point lead with 33 seconds to play in regulation, but a pair of free throws by junior guard Nia Miller put the Rams up, 67-66. Yeshiva had one last chance to win the game, but senior forward Michal Alge's layup attempt was blocked by sophomore forward Alexis Hunter. Classmate Jami Cardenas grabbed the rebound to clinch the conference victory for Farmingdale State.

Despite the loss, Yeshiva University head coach Michael Alon was impressed with his team's performance. "It was incredible to see these student-athletes improve throughout the season and during these past four years," Alon said. "I am so proud of my players for the strides they have made in taking this program to the next level."

Alge notched a double-double with 18 points and 21 rebounds, while dishing out nine assists and forcing six steals. She finishes her career as the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 1,159 points and 1,236 rebounds. In fact, the Boston native has grabbed more career caroms than any player on both the Yeshiva men's and women's basketball programs.

Senior guard Nicole Bick also finished her collegiate basketball career on a strong note, leading all players with 25 points, while grabbing five rebounds. Bick has scored 836 career points, despite only playing two years. She finishes season with 451 points scored in 2018-19.

Yeshiva trailed by as many as 11 in the opening quarter, but freshman forward Elizabeth Pavel's jump shot with 26 seconds to go capped off a 7-2 YU run to finish the period, narrowing Farmingdale's lead to 26-20 after 10 minutes of play.

In the second stanza, Alge's layup capped six unanswered points for Yeshiva to pull to within four, at 30-26. However, a 9-2 run by Farmingdale State put the visiting team back up by 11, at 39-28, with 2:42 left to play before intermission. Yeshiva finished the opening half on a strong note, as Alge executed a layup at the buzzer to shrink the Macs' deficit to 41-34 entering the break.

The Maccabees dominated the remaining 7:00 of the third quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points to take a 52-47 lead entering the final period of regulation time. Bick scored eight of those 14 points during the run. She converted a layup to start the rally and then added the layup that would give the Blue and White a 49-47 advantage. Alge drained two free throws to extend the lead to four and then Bick struck from the charity stipe to increase the Macs' lead to five.

The Rams rallied in the final stanza, as a 3-point field goal by Miller tied the game at 56. Yeshiva countered with four straight points, capped off by a fastbreak layup from Bick, to put YU up 60-56 with 4:04 left to play. After Farmingdale State scored four straight points to tie the game, Pavel found sophomore forward Lindsay Brandwein, who converted a layup to allow Yeshiva to regain the lead with 2:42 to go.

With the game knotted, 62-62, sophomore guard Destiny Hurt was able to convert a layup while drawing a foul. She added the free throw to complete the traditional three-point play, to put the Rams up by three, with two minutes to go.

After Bick hit a pair of free throws to pull YU to within one, Alge drew a foul on Yeshiva's next offensive possession. She drained two shots from the charity stripe, to give Yeshiva a narrow 66-65 lead with 49 seconds to go. However, Miller came up big with two free throws to put the Rams ahead by one. Yeshiva could not score for the remainder of the game and Farmingdale's strong defense allowed the visiting team to earn the conference victory.

For the evening, Brandwein scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists. Pavel scored six points, had five rebounds, and distributed a pair of assists. Senior guard Penny Rabin had a solid game to finish her collegiate career with four points and three boards. Sophomore forward Celia Cohen, classmate Adina Rosenberg, and second-year player Leah Shulman each scored two points, while junior forward Ellie Parker grabbed two rebounds. Sophomore guard Chana Boltax recorded an assist.

For Farmingdale, Hurt scored 24 points, grabbed seven rebounds, distributed three assists, and forced two steals. Miller generated 12 points, dished out six assists, and collected a pair of steals. Hunter produced a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while blocking nine shots and forcing four steals.

Congratulations to Rabin, Bick, and Alge for great careers and all they have done for the Yeshiva University women's basketball program.