NEW YORK-  Sloan Ireland posted 20 points and 16 rebounds as the Hunter College men's basketball team earned a 68-58 win over Baruch on Thursday night in the Battle of Lexington at the ARC Arena, marking Hunter's first victory on Baruch's home floor in six years.

Hunter (5-17, 3-8 CUNYAC) never trailed by more than six early and carried a 37-35 lead into halftime before clamping down defensively after the break. The Hawks held Baruch (9-13, 6-5 CUNYAC)  to 6-for-30 shooting in the second half (20.0%) and limited the Bearcats to 23 points over the final 20 minutes.

JP Maaba added 16 points on five made field goals, including three 3-pointers, while Jeremiah Otasowie finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks. Kareem McDonald chipped in eight points and went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line, and Aidan Glackin delivered six points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench.

The Hawks turned a two-point halftime edge into separation with a steady, possession-by-possession second half. Hunter controlled the glass, forced Baruch into tough looks late in the shot clock, and used timely stops to keep the Bearcats from stringing together a run. With Baruch struggling to find clean offense, the Hawks stayed composed at the foul line and finished off the road win by holding the Bearcats to 20 percent shooting after intermission.

The Hawks return to the court on Feb. 11 as they host Lehman College for a 7 p.m. conference game.