V-Hawks Fall to Cougars in 2026 Opener

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The V-Hawks returned to play on Saturday for their first match of 2026. The V-Hawks faced off against the Cougars of Saint Xavier on a road trip in Chicago. Throughout 40 minutes of play, the V-Hawks fell short, falling to the Cougars 95-73. With the loss, the V-Hawks fall to 3-9 overall and 1-5 in CCAC competition. The Cougars improve to 5-7 overall and 3-2 in CCAC competition. 

The V-Hawk offense was spread between Braden Crubel's 13 points and 11 points each from Carson Koepnick, Colin Adams, and Treyton Fletcher. Crubel went 3-4 from the three point line while Treyton Fletcher went 4-5 from the field. Jonah Ogunsanya added nine points while Kole Johnson added eight. Landon Thousand led in assists with seven, and Braden Crubel led in rebounds with eight. Colin Adams grabbed six rebounds as well. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Braden Crubel scored first for the V-Hawks on a three-pointer
• The V-Hawks took an early 10-4 lead with another made three from Crubel
• The V-Hawks extended their lead to 13-6 on a dunk from Colin Adams
• The Cougars responded with a 6-0 run
• The V-Hawks fell behind at 18-17
• The Cougars went on a 6-0 run to take the 27-19 lead
• Scoring from Braden Crubel, Colin Adams, and Jack Voigt brought it back within two
• The V-Hawks continued fighting in the first half, but went into halftime down 44-38
• Treyton Fletcher and Landon Thousand earned the first V-Hawk points in the second half
• A Crubel three-pointer brought the score within five
• A layup by Treyton Fletcher cut the Cougar lead to three
• The V-Hawks fell behind again, going down 10 points
• The Cougars went on a 9-0 run 
• Treyton Fletcher cut the run, and Landon Thousand added a three
• The Cougars put together another 6-0 run
• The V-Hawks continued looking for scoring opportunities, but eventually fell 95-73

UP NEXT

The V-Hawks will return to action on Wednesday, January 7th as they travel to Indiana South Bend. The game is set to begin at 2pm Central, 3pm Eastern.