RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University women's basketball team's incredible season ended on Saturday night, as Yeshiva dropped its winner-take-all game to College of Mount Saint Vincent, 51-45, at Peter Jay Sharp Center. The Dolphins earn the No. 6 seed and will take on the third-seeded Mount Saint Mary College Knights on Tuesday evening at Kaplan Center.

It was a thrilling contest that came down to the wire. Yeshiva (10-12, 7-11 Skyline) had a 42-41 lead with 3:01 to go, but Mount Saint Vincent (11-12, 7-11 Skyline) outscored YU, 10-3, the rest of the way. The Macs won the first, third, and fourth quarters but were outscored, 20-4, in the second period and that proved to be the difference in the game.

It was still a very successful season for the Maccabees as they earned the most overall wins and Skyline victories in program history.

For the evening, senior guard Yuval Nitzan and junior guard Daniella Bessler each scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Maccabees, with the former forcing six steals and dishing out five assists, while the latter delivered three helpers and had a steal of her own.

Also chipping in for YU was junior guard Shai Rahamim who drained three triples, snatched three boards, and dished out a trio of assists. Senior forward Daniella Rothman produced four points and seven rebounds, while classmate Gabrielle Kupferman generated four points and three caroms. Junior guard Abigail Koenig brought down two boards and collected a steal.

The Maccabees got off to a strong start, as a jump shot by Kupferman gave the Blue and White an 8-2 advantage, 2:14 into the contest. After the Dolphins converted a free throw, Nitzan took a feed from Rahamim and buried a triple in inflate YU's advantage to 11-3 with 3:10 left in the opening quarter. Both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the stanza as YU took an eight-point benefit into the second period. YU's defense held CMSV to just one successful field goal attempt during the opening 10 minutes of the game.

The Dolphins came storming out of the gate in the second quarter, scoring the first 11 points to jump out in front, 14-11, with 3:52 left in the opening half. The Maccabees scored their first points of the second quarter, 6:38 in, thanks to a pair of free throws by Bessler to pull the Macs to within one. Mount Saint Vincent answered on the next possession courtesy of a triple from freshman forward Sofia Marcos to extend the home team's benefit to 17-13. Later in the frame, Bessler added two more free throws to shrink the Dolphins' vantage to 18-15. However, CMSV finish the half with five unanswered points to take a 23-15 lead at the intermission, as Yeshiva was held to without a field goal during the second period.

Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Nitzan buried a jumper for YU's first field goal since the late stages of the first period, which sliced the Macs' deficit to 23-17. After Yeshiva fell back behind by eight, a Nitzan jumper sandwiched in between two buckets by Bessler provided YU with a 6-2 run to narrow the deficit to 27-23 with 3:15 left in the third.

After each team exchanged baskets from the paint, Mount Saint Vincent inflated its lead to 32-25, thanks to an and-one three-point play from senior guard Kira Villegas with 1:22 remaining in the frame. That would be the score heading into the final period of regulation time.

The Maccabees fell behind by nine in the beginning of the fourth quarter, but a triple and then a layup by Nitzan, followed by a 3-point field goal from Rahamim, closed YU's gap to 39-38 with 5:26 left to play. After each team exchanged buckets, Bessler had possession of the ball and delivered it to Rothman who drained a clutch jump shot to put the Blue and White in front, 42-41 with 3:01 left to play in regulation time.

On Mount Saint Vincent's next possession, rookie guard Julia Angeles drew a foul and then hit a free throw to tie the game. After CMSV forced a turnover, Angeles executed a layup to put Mount Saint Vincent up, 44-42, with 1:55 left. Yeshiva's gap increased to five (47-42) but Bessler got the Maccabees closer by converting a shot from downtown to pull YU to within two with 30 ticks left on the clock.

With CMSV having possession of the ball, Yeshiva's swarming defense forced a turnover and YU had a chance to either tie the game or take the lead. However, the Macs were then guilty of committing a turnover themselves with 19 seconds left to play. The Dolphins ended up knocking down two pairs of insurance free throws in the closing seconds to clinch a berth in the Skyline Conference Championships.

Villegas led the way for Mount Saint Vincent with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, just as many steals, and a block. Senior guard Amber Been had a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, while collecting four steals.
The Maccabees will return to action in November 2023.