The Colonials will host the Catholic men’s basketball team in an exhibition game Nov. 3, kicking off the 2012-13 season and pitting head coach Mike Lonergan against his alma mater and former assistant coach Steve Howes.

Lonergan has strong ties to Catholic, where he was both a player and a coach. As the head coach of the Cardinals for 12 seasons, he won 251 games, traveling to seven straight national tournaments and leading Catholic to the 2001 national championship.

“As an alumnus, former player and coach, it’s exciting for me to get Catholic University on our schedule for an exhibition game,” Lonergan said in a Catholic release.  “CUA has been very special to my family and we will be forever indebted to Catholic University and the people there. Coach Howes has continued to maintain the great basketball tradition at CUA and we are excited to follow Florida and Notre Dame as the Cardinals’ next exhibition game opponent.”

Howes played for Lonergan at Catholic from 1993-95 and worked under him as an assistant coach from 1998 to 2000 and 2001-04.

Last season, the Cardinals went 19-9, advancing to their second straight ECAC championship. The last time GW and Catholic met was in 1983, when the Colonials claimed a 117-73 victory.