Wild Season Ends for Catonsville in Region XX Tournament

The CCBC Catonsville Cardinals men's basketball team ended their season on March 7, falling to Howard Community College in the first round of the Region XX Tournament.

After clinching a tournament berth with a victory against Montgomery College, the Cardinals' rollercoaster ride of a season ended in a 90-74 loss. Three Cardinals players still managed to score in double-digits to end the season.

Catonsville would score first off a layup from sophomore guard Maurice Smith (Newtown)and would keep the game close in the first half. Solid scoring from sophomore guard Keith Bullock (Cardozo) and Smith kept the Cardinals within one score throughout the opening ten minutes.

Howard would begin to pull away as the first half concluded, but Catonsville kept things close. Sophomore forward Christopher Johnson (St. George) notched several big shots, but Catonsville still trailed 43-27 at the half.

The Dragons continued to extend their lead in the second half, expanding the advantage to 62-38 with ten minutes to go. The Cardinals continued to fight despite trailing by 20 for much of the half. With the game out of reach, Johnson would sink the final shot of the season with four seconds left, scoring one last three as Catonsville fell 90-74.

Johnson ended the contest as the leading scorer for the Cardinals with 22 points and eight rebounds. Maurice Smith added 15 points and six steals, and sophomore guard Jalen Yates (Baltimore City) added 12 points in his final game with the Cardinals.