La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 73-69 victory at city-rival Viterbo University (Wis.) Monday night in the R.W. Beggs Senior Gymnasium. The V-Hawks drop to 6-3 on the year. It is UWL's 13th win in the last 14 meetings with Viterbo (Wis.). The Eagles now lead the designated Alumni Cup games, 19-10. 

The V-Hawks scored the first six points of Monday's game on a three-point play from Cade Anderson and three-point field goal from Jason Tichy. Viterbo (Wis.) later led 13-7, but UWL went on a 8-2 run to force a 15-15 tie with 12:04 remaining in the first half. Milton Cummings had a three-point play and three-point field while Nolan Wright had a dunk for the Eagles in the run.

Jared Fleischmann tied the game at 22-22 for Viterbo (Wis.) with 5:39 left on a pair free throws, but UWL used a 12-1 run to lead 34-23. Ben Meinholz had a pair of three-pointers in the run. Fleischmann's jumper and Tichy's three-pointer cut Viterbo's (Wis.) deficit to 34-28 at halftime.

Viterbo (Wis.) took a 43-39 lead with 12:44 remaining in the second half, but UWL went on a 15-2 run to lead 54-45 with 7:30 left. The V-Hawks responded with a 12-2 run of their own to lead 57-56 with 5:13 left after a Ethan Haberman three-pointer. Brandon Manning tied the game for UWL after making one-of-two at the line with 4:57 remaining. After Viterbo (Wis.) missed a layup, Wright's layup gave UWL a two-point lead with 4:19 left. The Eagles would never trail again.

UWL used a 9-2 run to lead 68-59 with 1:31 left on a pair of Tanner Bruchs' free throws. Sam Skoyen's three-point field goal with 2:01 remaining gave the Eagles an eight-point lead at 66-58. UWL went seven-of-eight at the free throw line in the final 1:31.
 

 

UWL shot 38.6% from the field Monday, including 40.7% (11-of-27) from three-point range, and 78.3% (18-of-23) at the free throw line. The 11 three-point field goals made are a season-high and the most for the Eagles since finishing with a school record 20 in a 95-50 victory over MacMurray College (Ill.) on November 26, 2016.

Meinholz led UWL with 19 points and six assists while Bruchs finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Manning had seven points and a career-high 12 rebounds. The Eagles had 17 assists on their 22 field goals made.

Viterbo (Wis.) shot 34.5% from the field, including 33.3% (six-of-18) from three-point range, and 71.4% (25-of-35) at the line. Fleischmann led the V-Hawks with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists. He was three-of-11 from the field, including one-of-one from three-point range, and 12-of-16 at the line while finishing with eight turnovers. Tichy had 18 points for Viterbo (Wis.) while Haberman totaled 12 and Anderson 11.

UWL returns to action Wednesday, November 22 hosting 20th-ranked Saint John's University (Minn.) at 7 p.m.