WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic men's basketball team hosted Scranton on Saturday afternoon for their regular season finale match up. The Cardinals dominated against the Royals, defeating them 87-50.

Prior to tip-off, Catholic honored four seniors who have given their time and skills to Catholic both on and off the court: Brian Herbert, CJ Ruoff, Charley Hepting, and Jamie Ntiamoah.

Energy was high at Franny Murray Court from the opening tip, as both teams battled early in the first half. Scranton scored first, but Ntiamoah answered quickly with a basket of his own, assisted by Ruoff. The game was neck-and-neck for nearly 15 minutes before Catholic began to pull away with the lead. The Cardinals closed the half on a strong run, taking an 11-point lead over the Royals, heading into the break up 38-27. Hepting was perfect in the first half, going 5-5 from the field to score 10 points, while Herbert added seven points and three assists.

Catholic carried their momentum in the second half, holding Scranton to just six points in the opening seven minutes. Scranton attempted to regain their footing, but the Cardinals continued to extend their lead, pushing it to as many as 40 points following a three-pointer from Leo McNabb. Peter Gellene contributed 14 points to the Cardinals tally in the second half, leading them to a 87-50 victory over Scranton.

Seventeen Cardinals saw action in the match up, with all four seniors making a start. Catholic shot 55.7% from the field and 52.2% from beyond the arc.

Gellene led all scorers, going 4-for-5 from three-point range, totaling 16 points. Hepting went 7-for-8 from the field to pick up 15 points of his own. Hepting also tallied six rebounds and a block. Ntiamoah provided 12 points, as well as four rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Ruoff once again proved himself as a playmaker, dishing out six assists and picking up eight points of his own. He currently leads the team with 112 assists and 497 points as the Cardinals head into postseason play. 

With this victory, the Cardinals close out the regular season with an overall record 19-6, going 15-3 in Landmark play. Catholic has secured the first seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament, giving them a bye in the Opening Round. They will host the Second Round on Thursday, February 26 against the winner of the Wilkes versus Elizabethtown Opening Round match up.