Bethlehem, Pa.-  Hunter College men's basketball struggled on both ends of the court Tuesday night at Johnston Hall, falling 86-34 to Ursinus College in the opening round of the Steel Club Classic hosted by Morovian University. The Hawks dropped to 2-10 overall, while the Bears improved to 7-2 with a strong team performance.

Hunter started the game with an air raid approach, with 13 of its first 15 looks on offense resulting in shots from outside the paint. However, smothering defense from the Bears' backcourt created pressure and contested shots, keeping the Hawks' defense on their heels in transition. Ursinus built a 51–25 lead by halftime and maintained control throughout the game.

Hunter was led offensively by Jayden Jarrett, who scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting while collecting 6 rebounds, and Jeremiah Otasowie, who added 11 points. JP Maaba chipped in six points for the Hawks. David Kruszewski and Sloan Ireland added four rebounds a piece off the bench. Despite those contributions, Hunter struggled to find rhythm on offense and finished the game shooting 24.6% from the field. The team was also outscored in points off turnovers, 27-12.

Hunter looks to bounce back against FDU-Florham tomorrow afternoon in day two of the tournament. Tip off is slated for 3:30 p.m. for the team's final game of 2025.