New York NY – The women's basketball team took on the Bloodhounds of John Jay earlier this evening with the #2 seed up for grabs in the CUNYAC Championship Tournament. When all was said and done, it was Hunter that came out on top with an 83-75 victory over the visitors.
 
With the win, Hunter (15-10, 11-3 CUNYAC) secures the #2 seed in the conference tournament and will earn a first round bye. Meanwhile, John Jay (13-12, 10-4 CUNYAC) will settle for the #3.
 
Janine Conway was impressive on the offensive end of the court, draining half of her attempts from the floor which resulted in a 28 point performance to lead the Hawks. Fellow senior Theresa Leung filled her stat line with 14 points, six steals, four assists and five rebounds while Phoebe Valenton chipped in with nine points, six steals and seven assists. Brooke DeGiulio matched her career high by adding 10 points on 4-7 shooting from the field.
 
The Purple and Gold slipped into a seven point hole in the first, but turned the tables on a 9-0 run sparked by a Valenton layup and capped with a Leung Jumper. Conway's bucket at the end of the quarter gave her team a slight 23-21 lead heading into the second.
 
Hunter held John Jay to just eight points in the second and went ahead and scored 20 to further separate themselves from the challengers. The Hawks headed into the half on a 6-0 run and enjoyed a 43-29 lead.
 
Despite the lead growing to as much as 17 points, they headed into the fourth and final quarter up just 10 points. Over the final 10 minutes, Hunter's lead diminished and they found themselves down by one with 2:44 left to play. Conway knocked down a pivotal triple as the Purple and Gold closed with a 5-0 run to close out the game.
 
The Hawks will receive a first round bye in the CUNYAC Tournament and will begin play on Wednesday, February 26 with the semi-final round at the Sportsplex.