New York, N.Y.- Hunter College stormed into the championship game of their Tip-Off Tournament with an emphatic 87-42 victory over Vermont State Lyndon in the team's home opener on Friday night. The Hawks moved to 2-2 on the season with the win and will face UMass Boston tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. for the title.

The game was a showcase of Hunter's depth and dominance, with strong performances across the roster.  Alexa Charles led the charge with a stunning double-double, pouring in 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting and pulling down 15 rebounds. She also dished out five assists and snagged seven steals, making her presence felt on both ends of the court.

Guard Katie Burke lit it up from beyond the arc, connecting on 5-of-9 three-pointers en route to a career-best 21-point performance. Her precision shooting helped the Hawks open an early lead and maintain momentum throughout.

Significantly, Hunter's reserves made their mark in the blowout. Their bench contributed 21 points, led by Kennedy DeRuy who notched her first double-digit performance of the season with 11 points while grabbing three rebounds in addition to a pair of assists and a steal. Sophie Stratton added three points, three assists and two rebounds, as she demonstrated her versatility in 17 minutes of play.

Graduate student Kimberly Lau grabbed a season-high four steals while Erin Cosio added to the defensive performance with three of her own.

Michelle Stuchl, Wanhua Peng and Emma Tung also got in on the action, showcasing their potential with valuable hustle plays, each grabbing an offensive board as Stuchl added two more on defense plus a steal.

The Hawks dominated in every aspect of the game, particularly in transition, where they scored 28 fast-break points. 

The victory was never in doubt, as Hunter jumped out to a 27-13 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. They held the Hornets (2-3) to just 32.7% shooting from the field while forcing 31 turnovers, converting many of those into easy points.

Tomorrow's matchup against UMass Boston promises to be an exciting conclusion to the Hunter Tip-Off Tournament. The Hawks will look to carry their momentum into the title game at 3:00 p.m. in the Hunter Sportsplex.