The Raymond A. DuFour Athletic Center was home to two magical, intense, and heartbreaking Division III NCAA Tournament games in March.
The men鈥檚 NCAA Tournament run concluded March 2 in a tense high-level battle between the Cardinals and the Profs of Rowan. Rowan picked up an 89鈥85 victory over the Cardinals, who won their first Landmark Conference championship since 2016.
In front of a sellout crowd of more than 1,100 fans against Rowan, Tommy Kelly, Jake Timby, and Enzo Sechi all scored 17 points for Catholic.
鈥淭hey fought, they clawed, they battled their way back. It was incredible. It was an incredible game environment,鈥 Catholic coach Aaron Kelly said. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a moment in this one where the crowd wasn鈥檛 involved. There wasn鈥檛 a moment where it didn鈥檛 feel like a heavyweight fight.鈥
The honors added up for the team, as Kelly and his staff were named Coaching Staff of the Year by the Landmark Conference. Jesse Hafemeister was named conference Player of the Year and made the all-conference first-team for the fourth time.
The women鈥檚 basketball team also qualified for NCAA tournament play 鈥 having lost just three times all season. They traveled to Washington & Lee for the games and won their first NCAA tournament games since 2012鈥13. Carly Mulvaney scored 22 points in a 71鈥55 victory over Penn St.-Behrend.
In round two, the Cardinals lost to host Washington & Lee in Virginia, 80鈥70, despite Sarah White鈥檚 15 points. This amazing team ended their season 26鈥3.
鈥淚鈥檓 just really proud of our grit and our heart,鈥 coach Matt Donohue said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 possible for me to express the amount of pride, appreciation, and love I have for this group. It鈥檚 without a doubt the greatest women鈥檚 basketball team in Catholic history, not just for what we did on the court, but who we are as people.鈥
Sophomore Anna Scoblick was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year, while Donohue and his staff were also named Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for an outstanding 2023鈥24 season.
