Box Score ROME, Italy – Villanova opened its 2026-27 women's basketball season on Sunday with a 99-75 loss to No. 13 Notre Dame in the Eternal City Classic in Rome, Italy.

The Fighting Irish used a strong first half to establish control, building a 45-26 advantage at the break before holding off a second-half push by the Wildcats.

Notre Dame led 20-13 at the end of the first quarter and opened the second period with a 6-0 run to extend its advantage to 26-13. Villanova struggled to find its shooting rhythm in the opening 20 minutes, connecting on just 11-of-35 attempts from the field (31.4 percent) and 3-of-14 from three-point range (21.4 percent).

The Irish, meanwhile, shot 17-of-32 (53.1 percent) from the floor and 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc to take a 19-point lead into halftime.

Villanova showed signs of a comeback in the second half, cutting the deficit to 57-40, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get as Notre Dame maintained control the rest of the way.
Hannah Hidalgo led the Fighting Irish with a game-high 32 points, while Leah Macy added 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field.

Jasmine Bascoe paced Villanova with 26 points and nine assists in an impressive individual performance. EJ Bender made her collegiate debut and delivered a strong first outing, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Notre Dame finished the contest shooting 38-of-68 (55.9 percent) from the field and 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from three-point range. Villanova shot 29-of-70 (41.4 percent) overall and 9-of-28 (32.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats will return to action on Tuesday, Nov 10, with a road game at Princeton. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.