JTA — The Yeshiva University Maccabees ended their NCAA championship run on Friday with a Sweet 16 loss to the Emory University Eagles.

The 101-80 loss to a higher-seeded team came amid the “electric atmosphere” that fans of the Orthodox flagship had promised, with star Zevi Samet putting up 43 points in his last game with the Maccabees and fans from near and far outnumbering the home crowd in Atlanta.

Videos posted by Maccabees Live showed YU fans cheering Samet, the team’s all-time top scorer and the holder of the record for most points scored in a single game, with 52.

In a postgame press conference, Samet was asked about his greatest accomplishment during his four years at YU.

“I think that’s an easy question,” he answered. “Getting to spend Shabbat together, Shabbos with all the guys, getting to spend minyan together every day after practice … The basketball part is fun, but at the end of the day, we’re here in this world for a bigger purpose. And I think friendship is one of the most powerful things. And fact that I’ve been able to build awesome friendships is probably my biggest accomplishment.”

Coach Elliot Steinmetz, who has built the YU program over more than a decade, said that even though several of the Maccabees’ strongest players were graduating, he anticipated more success ahead for his team.

Yeshiva fans thanking Zevi Samet for 4 amazing years pic.twitter.com/PyRoEMknM7 — MacsLive (@MacsLive) March 13, 2026

Yeshiva fans thanking Zevi Samet for 4 amazing years pic.twitter.com/PyRoEMknM7

— MacsLive (@MacsLive) March 13, 2026

Just because it was the first time the Maccabees were playing in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament (after having a game canceled by the pandemic in 2020), he said, doesn’t mean the team is resting on its laurels.

“I’m probably proud of the fact that these guys are sitting here upset that they lost as opposed to just happy that they were here,” Steinmetz said.

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 Netanyahu says he doesn’t know if Iranians will oust regime, threatens new supreme leader

2 Six US soldiers killed as refueling plane crashes in Iraq due to apparent accident

3 InterviewWar aimed at preventing Iranian nukes may actually lead to them, ex-IDF expert warns

4 Michigan synagogue attacker’s brothers said to be Hezbollah members killed in IDF strike

5 Woman wounded by shrapnel, dozens lightly hurt as Iranian missile hits northern town

6 Michigan synagogue’s security preparations credited with saving lives

7 Yeshiva University fans gear up for Sweet Sixteen run — and a Shabbat in Atlanta

8 ‘Every light is flashing’: After shootings at synagogues, Canada’s Jews fear what’s next

Yeshiva University Maccabees

NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association

© The Times of Israel