Rams Fall to Villanova

December 15, 2025

Cate GVBB 37 vs Villanova 51

The Cate girls’ varsity basketball team lost its first league game of the season to Villanova in disappointing fashion.

The Rams dominated the first half, leading by 15 points at one point in the second quarter. They were led by sophomore Josie Song, who scored 11 of her 16 points before halftime, and senior Emerson Evans, who contributed 8 of her 10 points in the first 16 minutes of play. Senior Maia Holmes was relentless on defense and attacked the boards with determination. Despite Villanova’s aggressive, handsy defense, the Rams maintained their composure early and executed our game plan.

Unfortunately, the second half felt like a different Cate team stepped on the court. Villanova applied full-court trapping pressure and dominated the rebounding battle. As the Wildcats made their run in the third quarter, the Rams struggled to stay composed. Anyone who has played at Villanova knows that even a small crowd can sound like 100 screaming fans. With full-court pressure, our offensive attack slowed, and we started turning the ball over, which led to easy points for the Wildcats. Ultimately, Villanova scored 32 points in the second half, while Cate managed only 12.

Villanova’s intensity, size, and experience, combined with their aggressive defense and constant hand-checking, made the Rams uncomfortable. The Wildcats simply wanted it more, and Cate couldn’t match that energy last night.

Still, this is a valuable learning experience for a young team working to handle adversity and stay poised under pressure. The Rams will use the sting of this loss as motivation heading into next week’s games: Nordhoff on Monday night at Cate, followed by Laguna Blanca on Tuesday.