Pride drop 2024-25 opener in 59-58 home loss to Viterbo

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Getting their season started on their home floor in the Kehl Center, the Clarke University men's basketball team dropped a nailbiter by one point in a 59-58 loss to Viterbo University on Friday night.

In a bit of a revamped lineup from the previous season, the Pride debuted five newcoming players in their 2024-25 rotation that included starters Maximilliano Bowman and Bryce Luster in the starting lineup then Jordan DiBenedetto, Devon Junghans, and Jonovan Howard coming off the bench with the familiar faces of Carson Lindauer, Daquon Lewis, and Jake Layman returning to the starting lineup while Nick Bryant and Michael Kascel both played significant minutes off the bench.

The back-and-forth game in nature saw nine lead changes and eight ties as most of that action would come in the first 28 minutes as the V-Hawks tied the game on free throws with 11:39 remaining in the second half then took their last and final lead of the game right with 11 minutes remaining at 45-42 and would never surrender that lead.

Trailing 42-40 at that 11:39 mark, Viterbo would go on to outscore CU 12-2 over the next 3:10 to their largest lead of the game of eight points at 52-44 before Clarke would surge back with back-to-back buckets by Luster and Layman to cut the lead to four points.

After trading free throws, a three from Luster cut it to a two-point game before VU's Christian Rohde made a layup through a foul but would miss the free throw to keep it a four-point game as Bryant would make a shot through contact but also miss his and-one free throw to put it at 56-54.

Viterbo's final made shot of the game would come at the 3:35 mark when Jake Fisher hit a three to push the lead back to five but Layman would make another layup and Lewis would energize the Pride fans with a fast break dunk to cut it to 59-58 before the V-Hawks would go on to miss a combined three free throws and two layups over the final 56 seconds to give Clarke multiple opportunities to win the game.

In their first possession to regain the lead, Viterbo would steal a Luster pass attempting to find Layman in the post but miss their free throws on the other end, setting up a timeup for CU as they drew up a set for an open Junghans three pointer that missed but a Layman offensive rebound would get Bryant an open three pointer from near the same spot as that shot hit off the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded at that 59-58 Viterbo win.

The game's leading scorer was Colin Adams of Viterbo as he finished with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double while Braden Crubel added eight then Lydell King and Jack Voigt both had seven.

Luster led the way for the Pride with 10 points as their balanced offensive attack saw Lindauer, Layman, and Junghans all finish with eight, Bowman and Lewis added six, and Bryant had five.

Clarke men's basketball will have a quick turnaround to close out the Clarke Classic as they will face Coe College in the Kehl Center on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. CT following the neutral matchup between Morningside and Viterbo at 1:00 p.m. CT.