Yeshiva knocked out in Sweet 16, as Zevi Samet scores 43 in his last game with Maccabees |
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........