V-Hawks Fall to Mount Vernon at the Buzzer

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Men's Basketball team lost a heartbreaker at home to Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio), 55-58 on Saturday afternoon. The V-Hawks fall to 5-7 on the year, while the Cougars improve to 10-1.

Viterbo got on the board first with a Ben Olson jumper, but Mount Vernon would respond with a 9-0 run. Nick Malovrh ended the run by converting an and-one at 14:55, and two Cole Crubel threes helped the V-Hawks take the lead, 13-12. While MVNU was able to build back an 18-15 lead, Keegan Severn slammed a tip-in dunk, and Dakota Mannel dished three straight assists for a Colin Adams dunk, Jack Monis layup, and Crubel triple for a 24-20 V-Hawk advantage. With just over a minute left, Monis score for the 26-25 lead, but the Cougars scored four points in the least six seconds for a 29-26 lead going into the break.

Monis hit a pair of free throws to start the second, and after a Malovrh three, Monis scored again for the 33-32 lead. Five lead changes later, the Cougars led 43-42 with 11:46 left to play. Adams' jumper, followed by two Stefan Popovic free throws, had Viterbo ahead 46-44. Again, the teams traded baskets until Crubel's jumper evened the score at 51-51 with 6:32 left. A MVNU layup gave extended their lead to 55-51, but Olson managed to cut it to just two points with a free throw. Monis then tied the game with a put-back layup. Mannel had a chance to take the lead with a contested layup, but missed, and Mount Vernon won the game with a three with under a second left in the game.

Monis led the V-Hawks with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Crubel added 14 on 4-8 shooting from three. Adams also grabbed seven rebounds, and Mannel dished seven assists. Kade Ruegsegger scored 21 for the Cougars.

Mount Vernon shot 35.4% from the floor, 28.6% from three, to 31.8%, 26.3% three-point, from the V-Hawks. They grabbed two more rebounds, 40-38, but committed 20 turnovers to 12 by Viterbo.

The V-Hawks return to action on December 19 at the Hope International University (Calif.) Winter Classic, taking on host Hope International at 7 PM.