Polk scores team-high 21 in loss to Northwestern College

LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Viterbo University Men's Basketball team faced Northwestern College (Iowa) at home on Saturday. The V-Hawks fought until the final minute of play but were defeated 66-80. 

Despite Northwestern's early 5-0 lead, Robert Cunitz sank two threes in a row to put the V-Hawks up by one. Scoring in the first ten minutes was very back-and-forth until the Red Raiders were able to pull away a bit after a series of baskets put them up by nine. The V-Hawks produced a small scoring run right before halftime to go into the locker room down 35-36. 

Brady Polk knocked down two layups in a row early in the second half to tie the game up at 40, leading to a Northwestern timeout. Out of the break, Northwestern went on a 13-5 run to take the lead back. Although the V-Hawks fought hard all the way through, the Northwestern offense was strong, shooting with a 57.1 field goal percentage in the second half. Viterbo was unable to recapture the lead, ultimately losing by 14 points. 

Polk had a team-high 21 points, followed by Cunitz with 15 points and Monis with 12. Polk also had a team-high six rebounds and tied for a team-high three assists with Cunitz. As a team, the V-Hawks shot 42.9 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from behind the arc. 

Viterbo will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a game against Mount Mercy on Monday. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m. CST. Follow the action on viterboathletics.com or by following us on social media.