Three V-Hawks Score 20; Viterbo Falls to Clarke

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Viterbo University Men's Basketball team dropped a non-conference match at Clarke University (Iowa) on Tuesday night, 94-87. The V-Hawks fall to 3-3 while the Pride improve to 4-1.

Robert Cunitz scored the first five points of the game on a jump shot and three-pointer, while Alex King scored 10 early points, including two threes and a steal that led to a layup. The V-Hawks 13-3 run ended at the 14:40 mark on a LaJarrion Spinks jumper, bringing the score to 22-10. The Pride began to make a comeback, despite Keegan Severn's block and assist to Ben Olson's jump shot. Jack Monis hit back-to-back jump shots, followed by Severen's at 6:22 to go back up 38-28 until Clarke would mount a 13-0 run, with five points from Anthony Eddy. Olson broke the run with :45 seconds left in the half, and hit a jump shot with five seoncds left, brining the score to 43-41 going into the break.

King led the V-Hawks with 10 first-half points, while Olson added nine and five rebounds. Jacob Fierst led all players with 17 and six.

Dakota Mannel set up Monis for a jumper early in the second half to tie the game at 45-45. Cunitz and Olson would keep Viterbo neck-and-neck with Clarke over the next four minutes. Olson's steal led to a layup to tie the game again, at 66-66, but this was followed by another run by the Pride, going up 76-66 at the 5:39 mark. Monis ended the run and Olson converted an and-one to close the deficit to 73-79, but the V-Hawks would not get closer than six for the rest of the game, and Olson's thee at :33 would be the last points scored in the game.

Viterbo and Clarke shot almost identically from the floor, but the Prode were much more efficient from three, 37.5% - 48%. The Pride also narrowly won the rebounding battle 32-36, but scored 15 more second chance points than Viterbo.

Cunitz led the V-Hawks with 24 points and three assists, Monis had 22, eight rebounds, and three assists, and Olson added a career-high 21 points and five boards.

Eddy led all players with 38 points on 8-13 from three and Fierst scored 24.

The V-Hawks return to action this weekend for the  2022 Gundersen Hotel & Suites Viterbo Men's Basketball Invitational.