NEW YORK- The Hunter College women's basketball team used a dominant second half to power past Baruch College, securing a 70-58 victory at ARC Arena on Wednesday night. The win marks the Hunter's 10th conference victory as the Hawks maintain their hold on the top spot in the CUNYAC standings.

Hunter (16-5, 10-1 CUNYAC) found itself in a tight battle early, leading 14-13 after the first quarter before Baruch (11-10, 7-3 CUNYAC) surged ahead in the second, outscoring the Hawks 17-11 to take a 30-25 lead at halftime.

The momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter as the Purple and Gold came out firing, outpacing the Bearcats 24-12. Sparked by Kennedy DeRuy's sharpshooting and Alexa Charles' relentless rebounding, the Hawks regained control and never looked back. DeRuy provided a crucial lift off the bench, scoring 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers.

Charles delivered a dominant performance, recording a monster double-double with 24 points and 23 rebounds, including 17 on the defensive glass. She also contributed three blocks and three steals, anchoring Hunter's defensive presence. Gianna Henriques notched a double-double, as she added 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Kimberly Lau chipped in eight points and seven boards.

The Hawks' defensive pressure limited the Bearcats to just 25% shooting from the field and 20% from beyond the arc.

Hunter sealed the game in the fourth quarter, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to extend its lead and secure the victory. The Hawks' dominance on the glass proved to be the difference, outrebounding Baruch 59-54 and generating 14 second-chance points.

The Hawks return to the court on Feb. 11 as they host CCNY in the Sportsplex at 5:00 p.m.