Manhattan, NY - Riding high after their upset first round win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy earlier this week, the men's basketball team entered Thursday with a chip on their shoulder as they matched up against powerhouse Yeshiva University in the Skyline Conference semifinals. In the end, the nationally ranked Maccabees were too tough to overcome, beating the Dolphins 89-62 on their home floor.
The loss may have ended the Dolphins' season, but the foundation was set for a contender in the coming years.
From the opening tip until the 10 minute mark, both the Dolphins and Maccabees battled on both ends of the floor, exchanging baskets and trading leads.
Elijah McKenzie started things off with a quick four points to open play as he dominated the paint for the Dolphins, while both
Dillon Hod and
Kelvin Turner-Harris came off the bench and provided sparks both offensively and defensively. But once Yeshiva was able to break out on a 12-0 run in the final minutes of the first half, the deficit was too tough to overcome.
Hod capped off his first collegiate season in a strong way, as he led the Dolphins with 16 points while flashing potential as a scorer both in the paint and from beyond the arc. He also added two steals to the stat sheet. Junior standout
Dan Porcic scored 13 with a team-high nine rebounds McKenzie finished with 10 points of his own while going five of eight from the field. Seniors
Kalos Evans and
Dorian Robinson combined for 11 points as well.
Despite graduating a large senior class that were keys to the team's rotation,
James Mooney and the Dolphins have a lot to look forward to both next year and beyond. With Porcic, Hod, McKenzie,
Aaron Darab among the core coming back, this team will have the chance to impress in a year from now.