BETHLEHEM, Pa.- Hunter College men's basketball team put in a strong effort, but fell 79-71 to FDU-Florham in their second game of the Moravian University tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

The Hawks (2-11) maintained a steady pace throughout the first half, never leading or trailing the Devils (5-6) by more than six points as both teams entered halftime tied at 32 points. Sloan Ireland provided a strong lift off the bench in the first half contributing 10 points for the Hawks. He would finish the game with 12 points, five rebounds, and four blocks.

Hunter got off to a strong start in the second half, as a pair of good free throws from Kristian Nunez gave the Hawks a 44-37 lead. The Purple and Gold grabbed its biggest lead of the game, ahead seven points with 16:42 to go. Despite the effort, the Hawks were unable to overcome a 17-2 run by FDU-Florham, as Hunter found itself trailing by eight in the final minutes of regulation.

This separation would ultimately prove to be too much for the Hawks to climb back from, as they could not contain the Devils' offense, which put up 47 second half points behind a balanced attack.

Hunter was paced offensively by JP Maaba, who led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Jeremiah Otasowie added 14 points and six rebounds, while Jayden Jarrett contributed 10 points for the Hawks.

Hunter shot 44.3% as a team, including 26.3% from three-point range, while free throw shooting improved down the stretch, finishing 66.7% from the line. The Hawks displayed resilience and fought through multiple lead changes, but FDU-Florham's second-half surge proved decisive. 

Hunter resumes City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) play as the team travels to John Jay on January 7th in its first contest of the new year. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.