NEW YORK, N.Y.- Behind another 30-point outing from senior Alexa Charles and a dominant third-quarter run, the Hunter College women's basketball team pulled away from Farmingdale State for a 79-61 win to open up the new year at the Hunter Sportsplex, pushing the Hawks to 9-4 overall while the Rams fell to 6-5;

Charles led all scorers with 31 points, shooting 13-of-31 from the field, and added seven rebounds, four steals, and an assist in 38 minutes of action. She now has seven 30-point performances on the season and continues to lead the nation in scoring and steals across all NCAA divisions.

Hunter trailed by two after the first quarter but responded with a 21-point second quarter, fueled by key bench production and improved rebounding. The Hawks then took control in the third, outscoring the Rams 25-19 with contributions across the board and sharp interior passing.

Three other Hawks scored in double figures, including Wanhua Peng, who came off the bench to tally 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Kennedy DeRuy and Makkedah Murray added 10 points each, while Gianna Henriques anchored the paint with a game-high 13 rebounds, two blocks, and six points.

Hunter won the rebounding battle 51-40, outscored the Rams 44-40 in the paint, and generated 13 steals as part of an active defensive effort.

The Hawks return to action on Jan. 7 at John Jay to resume conference play at 5 p.m in the Doghouse.