Good Morning, Nova Nation 12/24: Grand Opening

'Cats Tough Out BIG EAST Opening Win At Seton Hall

December 24, 2025

The Official Newsletter of Villanova Athletics

Good Morning, Nova Nation. Santa isn’t the only one putting smiles on faces this week!

What all do we have in today’s edition? Check it out below!

🏀 Grand Opening
🎁 Put A Bow On It
🤝 Welcome Santander!
🔷 And much more!

Tommy’s Tavern + Tap is proud to be an Official Partner of Villanova Athletics!

🔼 Grand Opening. The old adage defense travels was on display on Tuesday night as the Villanova Men’s Basketball team used a suffocating defensive effort to grind their way to a 64-56 road win over Seton Hall in their BIG EAST opener.

The Wildcats limited the Hall to 21-of-63 shooting for the night (.333), including just 3-of-13 from beyond the 3-point arc (.231).
 
Acaden Lewis led a balanced attack with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. Bryce Lindsay added 15 points, while Matt Hodge had 12 points and six boards.

Acaden Lewis continued his outstanding start to his Villanova career with a team-leading 16 points in last night’s win over Seton Hall.

Through his first 12 collegiate games, how many times has Lewis scored in double-figures?

Got a guess?

Scroll to the bottom to see if you know your stuff!

🔼 For Your Viewing Pleasure. Looking for ideas on what to watch during the holiday break? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Inside Villanova Basketball presented by Toyota returns for Episode 5 this week.

This episode includes a sit-down interview with freshmen guards Acaden Lewis and Chris Jeffrey, and a Coaches Corner segment on Tyler Perkins.

Broadcast schedule:
Friday, December 26 – 6:30pm on NBC Sports Philly
Saturday, December 27 – 2:30pm on NBC Sports Philly
Sunday, December 28 – 7:00pm on NBC Sports Philly
Monday, December 29 – 8:30pm on NBC Sports Philly+

🔼 Put A Bow On It. The Villanova women’s hoops team added one more bow to their season continuing their torrid stretch with a dominant 85-48 victory over St. John’s at Finneran Pavilion on Monday afternoon.

With the victory, the Wildcats have now won eight straight to sit at 10-2 overall and 3-0 in BIG EAST play heading into the holiday break.

Five Wildcats reached double figures in the win led by Jasmine Bascoe, who had a game-high 21 points. Ryanne Allen finished with 13 points, while Kelsey Joens had 12 points. Denae Carter and Brynn McCurry added 10 points each. Bascoe also dished out a career-high nine assists, while Carter pulled-down a game-high nine rebounds.

🔼 Welcome Santander! On Monday, Villanova Athletics and Santander US announced a multi-year partnership naming Santander the Official Retail Bank Partner of Villanova Athletics and awarding a $1 million grant to Villanova University to provide scholarships for 50 student-athletes. 

The partnership was developed by Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company and exclusive multi-media rights partner of Villanova Athletics.

🔼 Called To The Hall. Plenty of special phone calls are made this time of year.

For seven new members, they recently received a call they won’t forget as the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame announced it’s incoming class, which features five former student-athletes and a head coach spanning six different programs along with the annual Jake Nevin Award recipient.

These honorees will be celebrated at the 49th annual Hall of Fame Dinner in the Finneran Pavilion on Friday, February 20. Details for purchasing tickets to attend the dinner and ceremony will be released to the public in the coming weeks.

The members of the 2025 Hall of Fame class are Laura Johnson (Women's Soccer), Chris Machovina (Football), Monique Morgan (Women's Track & Field), Rory Rogers (Field Hockey), Liad Suez-Karni (Women's Basketball) and Jay Wright (Men's Basketball). This year's Jake Nevin Award winner is Susan Guarino.

What’s Ahead is brought to you by our friends at Visit Delco, the #1 source for information on all there is to see and do in Delaware County, PA. Find fantastic places to stay, incredible food and drink, and music and art—and you may even find a few surprises.

Thursday, December 25
🎅 Merry Christmas

Sunday, December 28
🚂 Trains At The Grange

Monday, December 29
🎄 Rose Tree Park Festival Of Lights
🏀 Women’s Basketball at DePaul @ 7 pm

Wednesday, December 31
🚶 Guided Mill Tours at Newlin Grist Mill
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. DePaul @ 6 pm

Thursday, January 1
⛸️ Flight On Ice at Energy Transfer Veterans Memorial Rink
🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Creighton @ 12 pm

Saturday, January 3
🌕 Full Moon Hike at Tyler Arboretum
🏀 Men’s Basketball at Butler @ 12 pm

Sunday, January 4
🍻 Ship Bottom Beer Garden at Linvilla Orchard
🏀 Women’s Basketball at Marquette @ 4 pm

Answer: Eight

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Have a great holiday season, Nova Nation!