NEWBURGH, N.Y. — The Hunter College men's basketball team opened the 2025–26 campaign on the road Saturday afternoon, falling to Mount St. Mary College, 71–58, in non-conference action. Despite the result, the Hawks showed promise with multiple players contributing across the stat sheet, including a double-double performance from senior forward Jayden Jarrett.

Hunter (0-1) jumped out to a strong start, taking a 35–32 lead into halftime behind sharp ball movement and balanced scoring. However, the offense cooled off in the second half, as the Knights outscored the Hawks 39–23 to pull away down the stretch.

Jarrett anchored the Hunter frontcourt with 12 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor while also adding an assist and a block. He was one of four starters to reach double figures in the scoring column.

Matthew Keller led the team offensively with 13 points in 31 minutes, going 5-of-10 from the field and converting three free throws. Freshman duo JP Maaba and Jeremiah Otasowie both added 10 points apiece in their collegiate debuts. Otasowie filled the stat line with five assists, two rebounds, and a steal, while Maaba chipped in three boards and a pair of assists.

Transfer Sloan Ireland made an immediate impact on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds and adding five points. Off the bench, sophomore Zachary Lebowitz tallied eight points in an effective 16 minutes on 3-of-6 shooting, including a three-pointer.

The Hawks held a 40–29 advantage on the glass and outscored the Knights 34–24 in the paint, but were ultimately undone by 21 turnovers and a cold second half that saw them shoot just 9-of-26 from the field. Mount St. Mary capitalized with 25 points off turnovers and a 16–5 edge in fast break scoring.

Hunter returns to action on Nov. 11 for a non-conference game at Pratt.