Basketball Recap: Talia Mendez's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Saint John Paul the Great Catholic over St. Catherine's

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 44-42 heartbreaker at the hands of the St. Catherine's Saints. The Wolves were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Saints apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Talia Mendez, who went 5 for 10 en route to 14 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. Mendez has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Aylani Andrade was another key player, putting up ten points along with six steals and five boards.

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic's defeat dropped their record down to 4-6. As for St. Catherine's, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 6-9 record.

Saint John Paul the Great Catholic and St. Mary's Ryken will face off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday without much rest having both just played. As for St. Catherine's, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Christchurch School at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.