Monis, Mannel Lead Viterbo as V-Hawks Snap Three-Game Skid

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Men's Basketball team snapped a three game losing streak on Friday night with a 98-67 win over Cardinal Stritch University on the first day of the Gundersen Hotel & Suites Viterbo Men's Basketball Invitational. The V-Hawks improve to 4-3 while the Wolves drop to 0-6.

Viterbo's first three baskets would all be threes, coming from Robert Cunitz, Ben Olson, and Alex King, to even the score 9-9 at 15:57. Keegan Severn rejected a Cardinal Stritch layup, which led to a jumper assisted by Dakota Mannel to bring the score to 17-17. Damar Reed's three but the Wolves up 22-17, but Cole Crubel's layup at 11:03 started a 23-0 run by the V-Hawks, highlighted by a multiple Luke Spink layups from steals by King and Mannel, and threes from Cunitz and Crubel. Monte Mayberry finally ended the run with a free throw at 3:59. Jack Monis scored six straight Viterbo points in the closing minutes of the half, but Stefan Popovic hit a three from Reed with six second left to leave the score at 50-31 going into the break.

Monis led all players with 12 first-half points, King had five point and five assists, and Mannel added four points and four assists. Popovic led the Wolves with eight points, and Reed had five points with three boards.

Monis opened the second half with a pair of free throws and a layup, then converted an and-one at 14:32 to go up 60-41. Mannel set up Crubel for threes at 11:48 and 10:44, and Olson's free throws extended the V-Hawk lead to 25, 77-52, at 9:15. Colin Adams threw down a dunk off a full-court inbound pass from Cunitz, followed by a layup by Quinn Ewald at 6:43. Jacob Watson set up Peyton Kuhn's three, his first career points as a V-Hawks, to go up 96-63 with 2:54 left, and his layup a possession later would be Viterbo's final basket of the game. A couple layups by the Wolves left the final score at 98-67.

Viterbo outshot Cardinal Stritch 54%-34%, including 47%-25% from three. Viterbo also won the rebound battle 45-36, the turnover battle 7-11, and score more points in the paint, 44-26.

Monis had a game-high 22 points with four rebounds, Cunitx scored 12, Olson added 11 with three steals, and Mannel had a career-high nine assists. Crubel (11) and Adams (10) also reached double digits.

Popovic led the Wolves with 16 points, Gregory Wells had 13, and DaeShawn Jackson had none points with seven rebounds and three steals.

The V-Hawks return to action on Saturday, November 19 with a matchup against Indiana University-Northwest in the final game of the Gundersen Hotel & Suites Viterbo Men's Basketball Invitational.