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An in-depth look at Division III

Posted Feb. 14, 2002

Flashbulbs popped, the crowd rose to their feet, and the noise built to a crescendo at the Max Stern Athletic Center as Yossy Gev received a pass from Eli Hami in transition and scored the way he had done 1806 times before — with power and finesse. Backing in against the larger Istvan Nyilas, Gev spun around in a power move and kissed the ball off the glass to pass Ayal Hod's 13-year-old all-time scoring record at Yeshiva University.

Immediately after scoring the record-breaking basket, Gev pumped his fists and waved his arms in the air, clearly euphoric at the dramatic moment. At the next stoppage of play, Gev was immediately surround by all his teammates as he hugged his coach, Dr. Jonathan Halpert. During a brief ceremony before the game continued, Hod, who was in attendance, presented Gev with a ball inscribed with the words, "Yeshiva University All-Time Leading Scorer Yossy Gev."

With the record safely in hand, the Maccabees turned their attention to the game, which they desperately needed, yet almost let slip away. Having started the evening in 5th place in a tight Skyline Conference playoff race, the Macs would move up to 3rd with a win against the Stevens Tech Ducks, but almost certainly lose their first-round home game with a loss. Using a pair of 14-6 and 7-2 runs and terrific shooting by Eli Hami (17 points), the Macs jumped out to an early 8 point lead, but were unable to hold it, going into halftime with a slim 31-30 advantage.

Dr. Richard Zerneck, the athletic director at Yeshiva University, took the public address microphone to center court. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he announced, "you're here on a historic night. Yossy Gev has just broken the career scoring record of Yeshiva University. 1808 points. And to present him with a ball, is Ayal Hod (left) whose record he broke. The record has existed since 1989." After a short photo opportunity, Zerneck announced, "Let's play ball." After the game, Gev took a phone call from New York Knicks guard Alan Houston, a business partner of Hod's. .

Upset at the lack of offensive rhythm, a distraught Halpert insisted that the Macs needed to "execute better on offense" and "control the big guys inside" on defense.

The Macs seemed to heed their coach's instructions — at least at first. Coming out in a new defense, a 3-1-1, the Macs played very aggressively, jumping out to a 12-2 run. After forcing a bad shot on the Ducks first possession, the Macs scored at the other end when Zev Hendles grabbed two offensive rebounds in a row and converted the putback on the second one. Hendles (7 points, 13 rebounds) would score again on a jump shot off a steal by Hami, and another steal by Hami led to a Gev bucket.

On the ensuing possession, Hami fed Gev for a three-pointer in front of his own bench. After two free throws by John Almonte, Jack Yulzary (9 points) drained a 3-pointer from the same spot as Gev (28 points) to give the Macs a 43-32 lead.

The lead grew to as much as 15 points, but as soon as Gev broke the scoring record, the Macs fell back into their first-half woes, unable to prevent the ball from being passed into the low post. The Ducks began to pound the ball each possession down to Nyilas (19 points), and the Macs were helpless to stop him.

Over a short span of about four minutes, the lead shrunk to four points. But Hami ended any chance of a comeback, hitting two free throws with 1:24 left, and converting the conventional three-point play on the following possession with 59 seconds left. It would give the Macs a much-needed victory, evening their record at 11-11, and boosting them to 8-6 in the Skyline Conference.

But the story of the night was Gev. A native of Rehovot, Isreal, the 6'4" power-forward has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates for his character off the court as much as his prowess on it.

"He had a spectacular night, and he's had a spectacular career," Halpert said after the game. "He's a great player; more significantly, he's a great individual."
When asked for some thoughts on the game, an ecstatic Gev responded, "can I scream?"

"First of all, it's a big win, before my achievement. But it's an honor to hold this record."

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