PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – Sophomore guard Rebecca Malech's successful jump shot with 2.4 seconds remaining broke a 77-77 tie and propel the Yeshiva University women's basketball team to a thrilling Skyline Conference victory over St. Joseph's College Long Island, 79-77, at the Danzi Center on Sunday afternoon. The Maccabees have now won two straight conference games to up their record to 3-6 overall, and 2-5 in league play.

Yeshiva led by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter, but a 16-4 run in the late stages of the game by the Golden Eagles (1-7, 0-5 Skyline) evened the game at 76 points apiece with 2:46 left to play.

However, the Maccabees maintained their composure as Malech's game-winning shot in the closing seconds clinched the victory for the Blue and White.

"The team is getting better and better," Yeshiva University Head Coach Michael Alon said. "They didn't panic under pressure. Being successful in late-game execution like they were today will be a great experience for them and they can build on that moving forward."

Leading the way for the Maccabees was freshman guard Yuval Nitzan who tallied a career-best 33 points, distributed a game-high seven assists, brought down four rebounds, and forced three steals. Senior forward Tehilla Teigman produced her seventh double-double of the season, netting 20 points and bringing down 10 rebounds. The Houston native also blocked two shots. Sophomore guard Jessie Orgel added 13 points with four rebounds off the bench.

With the game tied, 10-10, in the opening quarter, Teigman successfully converted a layup while being fouled. She added the free throw from the charity stripe to complete the traditional three-point play and give the Maccabees a 13-10 advantage with 3:08 to go. The Golden Eagles countered with seven straight points to jump out in front, 17-13. With five ticks left on the clock, Nitzan capitalized on a 3-point attempt to cut SJCLI's lead to 17-16 after 10 minutes of play.

After falling behind, 22-16, the Maccabees tilted momentum to their favor by scoring 16 unanswered points to catapult to a 32-22 hold with 4:34 left to play in the half. The Maccabees held the Golden Eagles scoreless for 4:46 during that stretch. The key plays of the rally were back-to-back 3-point field goals by Nitzan that capped off Yeshiva's streak. St. Joseph's managed to pull to within seven, but Orgel converted a shot from downtown to put YU back up by double digits. Both teams went into the half with Yeshiva sporting a 40-31 lead.

The Macs steadily increased their advantage throughout the majority of the third quarter. Teigman received a pass from sophomore forward Mahlia Leventhal and sprinted down the court to convert a layup off a fast break to give YU its largest lead of the afternoon, at 65-49, with 1:17 remaining. Junior forward Lindsey McKenna of St. Joseph's Long Island closed the scoring for the period with a layup to shrink the home team's deficit to 14 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Golden Eagles rallied in the final period of regulation, as a layup by sophomore guard Alyssa Signor capped off a 16-4 run to tie the game, 76-76, with 2:46 remaining in regulation time. The score remained even until the 1:19 mark, as Teigman hit a free throw to give the Macs a one-point lead. Forty seconds later, sophomore guard Megan Steinman hit a free throw of her own to once again tie the contest.

With less than 10 seconds left to play, Malech grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul. She couldn't capitalize on either free throw attempt but grabbed another offensive board. She shot the ball up in the closing seconds but couldn't connect. The West Orange native did not give up as she brought down her third offensive carom of the final minute and attempted another shot with 2.4 seconds left. This time, she connected to give the Maccabees a tight 79-77 lead. The Golden Eagles called timeout which gave them an opportunity to advance the ball to the front court. Signor received the ball, but thanks to strong contesting by Nitzan, she had to force up a desperation shot at the buzzer that did not connect with the rim. Orgel brought down the rebound to clinch Yeshiva's second straight Skyline victory.

For the Maccabees, Leventhal grabbed eight boards and scored four points. Senior guard Leah Shulman netted five points, while junior forward Lindsay Brandwein clutched three rebounds.

For the Golden Eagles, Steinman produced 20 points with nine boards. Freshman guard Catherine Siounis generated a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Signor added 17 points to go along with six caroms and five assists.

Yeshiva will host the United States Merchant Marine Academy, in a Skyline Conference matchup on Wednesday evening, at the ARC Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.