New York, NY – Junior guard Rocco Rubino (Brooklyn, NY/Archbishop Molloy) and freshman guard Izzy Hoffman (Woodside, NY/Archbishop Molloy) each scored a team high 18 points to help guide the Hawks towards an 85-81 victory over Medgar Evers in CUNY Athletic Conference men's basketball action Wednesday night at the Hunter Sportsplex.

Hunter trailed for a majority of the first half with Medgar Evers opening the game on a 12-4 run to take the early eight point lead. Then following a couple of early substitutions, the Hawks got their offense going and managed to tie the game at 23 following a lay-up from Hoffman with 8:01 left in the half. The Cougars then regained the advantage, going up 40-35, before the Hawks used an 11-3 run to close out the half and hold a 46-43 lead at the end of the half.

Five minutes into the second half, Hunter managed to jump out to a six point, 58-52 lead following a three pointer from sophomore guard Mark Courtien (Pelham, NY/Pelham Memorial). The Cougars weren't done yet though as they battled back and a jumper from freshman guard Jeff Kock would put them up 70-64 with 8:19 left on the clock. However, in a game that saw nine ties and nine lead changes, Hunter fought back once again and tied things up at 78 with 1:26 left to play. Hunter then iced the game at the line, sinking 7-of-8 free throws to cap off a 7-3 run to close out the contest.

The Hawks got a huge contribution out of their bench as they outscored Medgar Evers 33-7, led by junior guard Maxwell Dubois (Hollywood, FL/Dillard) who scored 14 points, along with 12 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action, and freshman guard Eric Klingsberg (Queens, NY/Holy Cross) who added 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the line in 31 minutes off the bench. Courtien was the only other Hawks to finish in double figures, scoring ten, while Rubino added ten rebounds and five assists to his line for the night.

For the Cougars, it would be the smallest player on the court, senior guard Kallai Sharpe, who scored a game high 24 points, shooting 10-of-20 from the field. He was followed by freshman forward Winston Douglas who had 18 points and ten rebounds, senior guard Ronald Hollowway who scored 17 points, and freshman guard Jarrel Deare with ten points.

The Hawks (8-11, 4-4 CUNYAC) will now head down Lexington Avenue on Friday for a rematch with long-time rival Baruch College (14-5, 6-2 CUNYAC) in the first game of a CUNYAC doubleheader with the women playing at 5:30 p.m. and the men tipping off at 8:00 p.m.