All eyes were on the clock as it ticked, counting down the final moments of one of the most important games of the season.
On Feb. 27, the Hunter Hawks women’s basketball team stood at number one, but everyone knew the game could go either way. Both teams were on a five-game win streak. The other team was last defeated by the John Jay Bloodhounds, and the Hawks were last defeated by the team they were playing against now–the Brooklyn College Bulldogs, at number three.
Though it was a home game for the Hawks, the cheers from the audience were just as loud for Hunter as they were for Brooklyn.
“You could feel the tension,” said Zakaria Mustopa, 24. Mustopa isn’t a student, but learned about the game through a friend who goes to Hunter. “It makes sense for a championship game.”
The tension was clear even before the game started. The Hawks stood in respect as the commentator announced the Bulldogs, but when it was time to introduce the Hawks’, the Bulldogs found it a perfect time to cheer themselves on. They stood in a circle with their hands in the air.
As the game progressed, shouts of frustration and cheers from both sides were rampant. The only time the crowd fell quiet was in anticipation for a shot, but the cheerleaders from Brooklyn College did their best to fill the silence.
“Defense! Defense!” They cheered, waving around their banner that read “Brooklyn.”
While the Hawks had support from the crowd, they had no cheer team to provide that extra pride. But they didn’t let that stop them. They managed to beat the Bulldogs in field goals, three-pointers and free throws. However, in the end, the Hawks lost to the Bulldogs for the second time this year, with scores of 54-59.
The Bulldog’s Dior Dorsey scored 15 points–the most for the team. The most points scored for the Hawks was 18 by Alexa Charles; the CUNY Athletic Conference’s Co-Player of the Year.
“She [Charles] was being double and triple teamed at times and still was able to finish with 18 points and 20 rebounds. She left it all on the court,” said David Horn, a junior at Hunter and the usual commentator of the Hawks’ games.
“This was such a hard fought game on both sides,” Horn said. “You could tell both teams really wanted the game and were taking energy from their supporters.”
Hunter’s Assistant Athletic Director, Juliet Vahos, commented on the game: “In general, in both teams, there was a lot of fouling going on. Very close game. Very good teams. Down to the wire.”
Both teams still have more to win. The Bulldogs will play against Bowdoin College at the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament on March 7. The Hawks will be at the Eastern College Athletic Conference on March 8, against Boucher College.
