The men's basketball team defeated Hunter College, 71-49, on Friday night at the Hunter Sportsplex. The Bloodhounds improve to 4-17 on the year and 3-9 in the conference. The Hawks drop to 7-13 overall and 4-8 in CUNYAC. 

"I challenged our guys to defend and rebound tonight, and they responded," head coach Ryan Hyland said. "Hunter is a good team and tonight our defense triggered our offense and we were able to move the ball to find the best shot almost every possession."

John Jay took an early 8-0 lead as senior Kris Owens made a lay-up and senior Korede Griffith recorded six straight points. Hunter responded on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 8-7. Owens responded right away by draining a three to increase the lead to four. 

With the Bloodhounds leading 16-14 with 5:53 remaining in the first half, John Jay broke open the half on an 11-2 run to lead, 27-16. Heading into halftime, the Bloodhounds led 31-22. 

Owens and Griffith recorded 11 and 10 points, respectively. John Jay went 12-for-27 (44.4%) from the floor in the half and 3-for-9 (33.3%) from behind the arc. 

Owens opened up the second half by hitting a jumper to increase the lead to 11. Hunter trimmed the lead down to 34-24, but the Bloodhounds responded on a 8-2 run to lead by 16. 

With 10:55 left in the contest, John Jay led 43-33. One minute later, the visitors broke open the game on a 13-0 run to put the Bloodhounds on top, 60-35. John Jay would go on for the victory, 71-49. 

"Every guy who touched the floor tonight contributed," Hyland added. "It was a true team win."

Griffith finished with 17 points, on 6-for-9 shooting, with six rebounds, a game-high five steals, and two assists. Owens recorded a game-high 22 points, on 9-for-15 shooting, and four rebounds. Junior Kendal Jordan picked up nine points, six rebounds, and one block. Senior Anthony Saldarriaga registered eight points, seven rebounds, and dished out a team-high five assists. Sophomore Ronald Merriwether and senior Kevin Crosby grabbed eight and four rebounds off the bench, respectively. 

"I was extremely proud of Anthony's performance as a true extension of me on the court," said Hyland. "He controlled the pace, aligned the defense, and did everything needed to get the win. Kris was great once again. He hit a number of tough shots in spots where we needed a bucket. He's a special player."

The Bloodhounds return to the Doghouse for a three-game homestand starting next week. John Jay will host the first-place Baruch Bearcats on Tuesday, February 3, at 7 p.m.