NEW YORK, N.Y. - Andrew Varoli hit the go-ahead three with 2.7 seconds left in regulation to help Sarah Lawrence knock off defending Skyline champion Yeshiva, 91-88, in the conference opener for both teams at Max Stern Athletic Center. It is the first-ever victory over the Maccabees in school history.
IN SHORT
Sarah Lawrence (2-2, 1-0) def. Yeshiva (0-3, 0-1), 91-88.
TOP GRYPHON PERFORMANCES
Austin Jones led all scorers with a season-high 22 points, highlighted by 11 made free throw attempts, tying the school record for most made free throws in a single game. Michael Shane made 11 from the charity stripe in 2009 against Pratt. Jones also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out a game-best seven assists.
Enike Anyia had his best offensive outing of the year, finishing with 20 points on 70-percent shooting. Omar Jamaleddine finished with 19 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in the win.
BJ Sanders turned in his first double-double effort of the season, recording 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Varoli added 12 points, knocking down 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc.
RECAP
Sarah Lawrence turned in perhaps its grittiest performance in recent history, knocking off the preseason favorite Maccabees in their home opener. Before the game, Yeshiva unveiled the banners of its three Skyline Conference championship teams from the 2017-18 season (women's tennis, men's basketball, and men's tennis). There was also a moment of silence to remember the victims who lost their lives at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Yeshiva, who received votes in the Top-25, rode the momentum of its home crowd in the first half, leading by as much as 10 in the period. The Gryphons chipped away at the deficit, shrinking the margin to five (46-41) at intermission.
Sarah Lawrence, picked ninth in the Preseason Poll, battled back in the second half for an exciting finish to regulation, which featured seven ties and nine lead changes.
The Gryphons knotted the contest at 52 with 14:44 on the clock, but Yeshiva scored five unanswered points to maintain its hold. The Maccabees continued to hold on to their lead, using back-to-back threes for a 71-62 margin with 10:26 to go.
Sarah Lawrence did not give up, going on a 12-2 run over 2:55, capped off by back-to-back layups from Jamaleddine, giving the Gryphons the lead (74-73) with 7:31 left to play.
Later in the stanza, with the contest tied 80-80, Yeshiva hit a three-pointer to regain the lead. On the next possession, Jones drew a foul from beyond the arc and was awarded three free throws. The co-captain showed mental toughness, converting all three tosses to tie the game, 83-83.
Jones converted another pair from the line to give Sarah Lawrence an 87-85 edge with 1:31 left to play. The Maccabees answered with a triple to make it an 88-87 contest with 1:12 on the clock.
Jones drew another foul with 57 seconds remaining, making one of two to knot the contest at 88. On the next possession, Yeshiva turned the ball over, giving the Gryphons a chance to end the game in regulation.
After taking some time off the clock following a timeout, Varoli, a Skyline Rookie of the Week honoree, drained the game-winning three, bouncing off the backboard and through the netting. Yeshiva had one last look, but failed to convert, securing the Gryphons' second road conference win in school history.
It's the fourth time in team history that Sarah Lawrence has scored 90 or more points in a game. The last time came in 2016 with a 100-point effort against Pratt.
UP NEXT
Sarah Lawrence resumes the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday (Nov. 24) with a road game at Catholic. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
