SUNNYVALE >> Winning isn’t everything.

Watsonville High’s girls basketball team took solace in the fact that it made the Central Coast Section playoffs after suffering a narrow 36-33 loss to No. 9 seed Fremont in the first round of Division I playoffs Friday night.

After all, it was the Wildcatz’s first postseason appearance in five years.

“The fact that we’re here, we’re all very proud,” said Xitlali Montesino, a senior forward for the Wildcatz. “We made it to CCS. That’s a great accomplishment. Fremont is a very good team. Their IQ, their passing was good, their defense was solid and they were pro-active.”

Montesino scored a team-high 11 points. Senior center Kaylani Trout-Lacy scored 10 points for the Wildcatz (9-16), who entered the playoffs unseeded after taking fifth place in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Gabilan Division.

Anusha Chadalavada scored 17 points to lead the Firebirds (15-10), who play at No. 8 Alisal (16-6) in the second round on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Wildcatz led 22-13 at halftime. But Fremont settled in and nailed three 3-pointers in the third quarter to help tie the score at 29-29. The contest was grueling battle over the final 10 minutes.

Montesino and Trout-Lacy each had three buckets in the first half. Iliana Garcia and Isabella Love aided the Catz’ cause, but the Firebirds caught fire and electrified their fans with hot shots in an 18-7 third quarter rush.

“The first half was helter skelter,” said Firebirds coach Miguel Castillo, who coached former MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki on Fremont’s boys basketball team a few decades ago. “In the second half, we settled down and we spread the court a bit more.”

In the fourth quarter, Florence Swindle and Nancy Morado each sank free throws for Watsonville, but Chadalavada’s 3-pointer and pair of free throws gave Fremont what it needed for the victory.

Watsonville graduates nine seniors, including Montesino. She averaged 14.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.7 assists to lead the squad.

“She really carried us,” Wildcatz coach Zachary Cook said. “She did everything. She’s a great kid and sometimes is overlooked because she does so much.”

Montesino, voted the PCAL Mission Division’s top defensive player in 2022, shined in all phases of the game after the Wildcatz were promoted to the stacked Gabilan Division.

“We accomplished what we wanted,” Montesino said. “We played pretty hard teams in the Gabilan and that helped us learn. We did well up there. Nearly all the games were close. And we made it to CCS.”