Behind a 31-point performance from Championship Most Valuable Player Alexa Charles, second-seeded Hunter College knocked off top-seeded, reigning champion Brooklyn College, 77-69, to capture the 2026 CUNY Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Baruch’s ARC Arena. The Hawks rise to 20-7 and lock up the CUNYAC’s automatic spot in the 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship. Brooklyn, which went unbeaten in conference play at 14-0, saw its 16-game winning streak come to an end and is now 23-4 overall.
Brooklyn had owned the league tournament in recent years, winning the last five CUNYAC women’s titles. Hunter’s victory is its first championship since 2019 and the program’s 10th overall—matching CCNY for the most in conference history.
The Bulldogs set the tone early, closing the opening quarter with seven straight points to take a 19-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. Hunter narrowed the gap to three at 21-18 with 3:49 left in the second quarter, but Brooklyn rebuilt the cushion to nine at 27-19 with 3:32 remaining before halftime. Hunter finished the half on a 9-1 surge, cutting the deficit to 28-27 at intermission.
Hunter College Championship MVP Alexa Charles
Hunter moved in front for the first time early in the third quarter, taking a 31-30 lead 1:13 into the second half on a basket by Mia Fuller. Brooklyn later recovered after facing a six-point hole and went back ahead on two Brianna Jackson free throws with 1:15 left in the third. Hunter responded before the period ended, carrying a 53-49 advantage into the fourth after Charles buried a three-pointer. Just over two minutes into the final quarter, the Hawks pushed the lead to 10 at 60-50 and never let the margin shrink below six the rest of the night.
Hunter shot 50.9% (27-for-53) from the floor and hit 54.5% (6-for-11) from three. Charles added four assists, four rebounds, and three steals while shooting 10-for-20, and she now has 2,669 career points—fourth-most all-time in Division III. Fuller contributed 15 points and six assists. Gianna Henriques filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and eight blocks.
Brooklyn finished at 33.3% (25-for-75) overall and 28.6% (6-for-21) from long range. Jackson led the Bulldogs with 22 points, Anna Kitch recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Dior Dorsey added 15 points and nine rebounds. Brooklyn controlled the glass, 49-34.
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