NEW YORK, N.Y.- Despite a 24-point outing from JP Maaba and a double-double from Jayden Jarrett the Hunter College men's basketball team came up just short in a tightly contested conference matchup, falling 75-70 to John Jay at home.

The Hawks (2-12, 0-3 CUNYAC) matched the Bloodhounds (3-11, 1-2 CUNYAC)  for most of the night, with the game tied nine times and the lead changing hands nine more. Both teams entered the intermission tied at 39, but a second-half surge from John Jay proved just enough to hold off Hunter's late push.

Maaba led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, knocking down a pair of threes and going 6-of-7 from the line. The guard added six assists and two rebounds in 40 minutes of action.
Forward Jayden Jarrett added 18 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Georgios Gatsias chipped in nine points off the bench. The Hawks shot 52% from the floor, their second-best shooting performance of the season, and converted 7-of-18 from beyond the arc.

Hunter held a narrow lead with under four minutes to play after a layup by Maaba made it 62-65, but John Jay responded with back-to-back threes to reclaim control. The Hawks had a look to tie in the final minute but could not convert, and the Bloodhounds sealed it at the line in the final seconds.

The Hawks return to the Sportsplex on Jan. 9 as they host York College (NY) at 6 p.m.