WASHINGTON - The Gallaudet University men's basketball team got off to a hot start Saturday in the first game of the Battle of D.C. & Maryland against The Catholic University of America at the DuFour Athletic Center. The Cardinals regrouped and outscored the Bison 39-13 in the second half en route to a 73-47 win on Franny Murray Court.

Gallaudet (0-2) jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead four minutes into the game thanks to three 3-pointers with two coming from sophomore guard Jake Schwall (Fishers, Ind.). The Bison continued to drain threes from outside as sophomore guard Malosi Viena (Waipahu, Hawaii) sank his second 3-pointer at the 10:23 mark to give Gallaudet a 21-11 lead. GU made 5 of 6 3-pointers to start the game in the first 10 minutes of play. 

The Cardinals (5-0) rallied and took their first lead with 50 seconds left before halftime when Tommy Kelly (10 points) made a 3-pointer to give the host a 34-32 lead. The two teams were knotted at 34 apiece at intermission.

In the second half, the Bison lost their touch from outside as they only made 1 of 11 shots from 3-point range and 5 of 30 from the field (16.7 percent) while the Cardinals made over 50 percent of their shots from the field, including five 3-pointers as Catholic won by 26 points.

Viena led the Bison with 11 points while senior guard Preston Kelly (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished with 10 points. Schwall and sophomore forward Brandon Chung (Kahului, Hawaii) added eight points each and six and seven rebounds, respectively, in the loss.

Catholic guard Jesse Hafemeister led all-scorers with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.

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GU will play St. Mary's College of Maryland in the consolation game at noon. This will not count as a conference game played as the two teams meet in United East Conference games in January and February 2023.