Pride slowed by Viterbo in Clarke Classic finale loss

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Coming off of a quality performance against a ranked opponent less than 24 hours prior, the Clarke University men's basketball team suffered their second-straight loss by a final score of 77-48 to Viterbo University on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams struggled to get their offense going in the early stretches of the game with the first basket coming over 2:30 into the game when the V-Hawks took an early lead and pushed it to 9-2 over about a three minute stretch before CU pulled the game back to one-possession at 12-10.

After a Carson Lindauer three pointer made it a 15-13 game with 9:16 left in the first half, Viterbo would make a push to go on a 16-3 run over the next four minutes to force a Pride timeout, but that wouldn't slow the run down much as VU extended that run to 25-4 to lead 40-17 and force a second timeout by head coach Jim Blaine in just over a minute more of game time.

Trailing at the halftime break by 16 points at 47-21, the closest Clarke would be able to pull to the V-Hawks' lead was to make it a 19-point game at 55-36 with 10:32 remaining in the game but three-straight makes from beyond the arc for VU pushed their lead back to 28, essentially putting the game to bed.

The game's leading scorer was Landon Thousand from Viterbo as the starting guard produced 21 points on 8-of-13 (61.5%) shooting from the field and a 5-for-9 (55.6%) day from deep as he was supported by a 14-point game from Braden Crubel off the bench, 10 points from Colin Adams, and a trio of seven-point performances by Carson Koepnick, Jonah Ogunsanya, and Jack Voigt.

For the Pride, who struggled mightilty from the field to a 15-for-48 (31.3%) game, they only saw five players make a shot from the field and only three players made multiple shots from the field with DeMarco Clayton going 6-for-11 (54.5%) on his way to a 19-point game, Lindauer went 4-for-9 (44.4%) from deep for all of his makes from the field to a 14-point performance, and Desmond Jones added 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench on a 3-for-5 (60%) shooting performance.

Clarke men's basketball will hit the road for their first games away from the Kehl Center this season when they face Trinity Christian College on Tuesday, Nov. 4 for a 7:00 p.m. CT scheduled opening tip against the Trolls in Palos Heights, Ill.