WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic University men's basketball team officially secured a spot in the 2022 Landmark Conference Men's Basketball Championship with an 83-60 victory over Elizabethtown Wednesday.

With the victory, the Cardinals (16-6, 9-4 LC) sit in third in the Landmark Conference standings, and have opened up a two-game lead on both Juniata (14-10, 7-6 LC) and Scranton (13-10, 7-6). With only one regular season game remaining for all Landmark teams, Catholic has officially clinched a berth into the Landmark Conference tournament.

Balanced scoring was the theme of the night for the Cardinals as 14 players scored, equaling a season-high. 

The game was tight early as Catholic trailed 19-16 with 10:52 remaining in the first half. A layup by senior Sam Golden then sparked an emphatic 28-5 to close the half, allowing the Cardinals to take a 44-24 advantage to the locker room. Catholic never trailed again and pushed the lead to as many as 31 points with 14:00 remaining in the second half.

Sophomore Jesse Hafemeister led the Cardinals with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists. This marks Hafemeister's 11th 20-point game of the season and his second in a row. 

Sophomore Jake Melady was also in double figures, scoring 12 points while shooting a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the three point line and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Sophomore Tommy Kelly added nine points and three assists.

Catholic shot over 50 percent from the field (50.8 percent, 33-of-65) and outrebounded the Blue Jays 42-34. The Cardinals bench also outscored the Blue Jays bench, 38-25.

Catholic dominanted the inside as well, outscoring Elizabethtown 38-22 in the painted area. Senior Frank Lumaj was pivotal under the basket, scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds in 10 minutes of action. He also added one steal and one block.

Sophomore Jake Timby provided a balanced effort, scoring eight points, grabbing three rebounds, providing two assists and forcing a career-high five steals. 

The Cardinals close out their regular season on Saturday, as they travel to the John Long Center to face Scranton in a must-win game for the Royals. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.