Men’s basketball kicks off season 3-1

The men’s basketball team officially kicked off their season late last month. It’s already four games into the season and the team sits 3-1. Win or lose, the team feels prepared for the games ahead.  

Their first game took place Oct. 30 with a win against the Marian Sabercats. Marian gained an early lead of 4-0, but that didn’t stop the V-Hawks. Viterbo bounced back with free throws Robert Cunitz and a three-pointer by Nolan Martin. The team had a seven-point lead by the half. Viterbo continued to dominate the court and the game with a score of 81-73. This was just the beginning for the team. 

On Nov. 6 the V-hawks played their second game of the season against the Grand View Vikings. The game was a toss up with eight lead changes and three tie ups. Viterbo had a lead of 44-31 at the half, but that wasn’t stopping Grand View. The Vikings came back with a strong defense as they connected more jump-shots to the offensive end. Unable to close the lead, Grand View accepted defeat with a final score of 82-79. 

On Nov. 9, the team took home yet another win giving them a streak of 3-0. The V-Hawks were up against Edgewood Eagles. The game started off strong as Robert Cunitz scored two three-pointers giving Viterbo a six-point lead. The Eagles were never able to bounce back, and the V-hawks made it to the half with a 10-point lead. The game wrapped up with a score of 80-68 giving Viterbo their biggest win yet. 

In their most recent game on Nov. 12, the team suffered their first loss against the Northwestern Raiders. The Raiders are currently 5-0 and the V-Hawks knew their work was cut out for them. Northwestern kicked of the game with an early lead of 9-0. Viterbo began close the gap with 3-pointers scored by Noah Fredrickson, but by the half, they were still down. They headed to the locker room down eight points with a score of 39-47. In the second half, the team came back strong as Nicholas Malovrh scored a three-point jump shot and two free throws. They nearly closed the gap with a score of 44-49 at the 18-minute mark but were never successful in doing so. The game ended in victory for Northwestern with a final score of 83-96.  

Despite their loss, the team still feels confident in achieving their goals. When asked what goals were set for the season, head coach Wayne Wagner shared that “our goal is to always be the best they can be by the end of the year. We have a mission to keep building, so regardless of how things go, we are always prepared.”  

The V-hawks are off to a strong start and still have a few games this month. If you want to see them live, they will be hosting an Invitational in LaCrosse on Nov. 19 and 20. They will also be playing on campus against the Whitewater Warhawks on Nov. 23 at 7:00 p.m.