Rafi Halpert never expected Jack Yulzay to pass the ball to him.

"I yelled, 'Jackie, Jackie, pass me the ball,' not thinking he's going to pass it, because he should shoot it."

But Yulzary did pass him the ball, confident in the rookie's ability to hit a big shot under intense pressure. With time running out and the Macs down by three, 66-63, to the Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins, Halpert accepted the pass from Yulzary on the left wing behind the three-point line. He faced up to the basket and found Chris Daniels sprinting toward him. Halpert elevated for the jump shot and, at the peak of his jump, released the ball, barely clearing the outstretched hand of Daniels. As the buzzer sounded, the ball splashed down into the net, sending the Yeshiva bench into a frenzy and the game into overtime.

It was an especially poignant moment for Halpert's father, Coach Jonathan Halpert, because the comeback victory against the Dolphins, which the Macs completed in the overtime session, was his 300th career win. It also guaranteed that the Macs (13-11, 10-6 Skyline) would finish this season with a record above .500 for the 17th consecutive year, a streak that dates back to the opening of the Max Stern Athletic Center in 1985.

It could not have been scripted any better for Coach Halpert, who was smiling from ear-to-ear after the game. When asked about the thrill of winning his 300th game, coupled with his son hitting the difficult shot, the usually verbose Halpert was at a loss for words

"I wish I had something clever to say, but I'm just overwhelmed."

Later, though, Coach Halpert was more garrulous.

"There are no words to describe this. I can't be happier. My kid hit a three-point shot with no time left. That's 30 years of work, and hardship, and frustration, and one shot makes up for everything. You can't write it any better than that."

It was not supposed to be so exciting. The Dolphins, just 2-12 in the Skyline Conference, were not expected to give the Macs, the league's third seed, much difficulty. But Mt. St. Vincent dominated the offensive glass, outrebounding the Macs and scoring on the extra chances. At halftime, the Macs led by only four points, 37-33.

Until the final shot, the second half was more of the same. Yeshiva and Mt. St. Vincent traded baskets, with the Dolphins gaining a slight edge as the half progressed. With just over 8 minutes to play, Anthony Buford scored on transition and was fouled on the play by Alex Lapidus. The free-throw gave the Dolphins their first lead of the game, 54-53, and they would hold it until Rafi Halpert hit his three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end regulation.

The Macs played more like themselves in the extra session. Energized by the heroics of Halpert, the Macs went on an 8-2 run -- highlighted by a three pointer in the corner by Yulzary -- to give them a 74-68 lead. Trying to force the Macs hand, the Dolphins went to the press, but Yulzary was able to break it single-handedly, using his speed and agility to weave around defenders. Mt. St. Vincent would never be able to make a legitimate comeback bid, and so the Macs headed into the playoffs with a four-game winning streak, their 17th consecutive winning season, and a 300 win coach.

Notes: Yossi Gev played despite his injured wrist, which was taped up for most of the game. It seems to have affected his shooting, as Gev winced at the foul line and declined to shoot from three-point range at Mt. St. Vincent.