Villanova WBB Falls to No. 13 Notre Dame as Size, Secondary Scoring Provide Problems

ROME— Villanova Women’s Basketball began their 2026-27 season with a 99-75 loss to No. 13 Notre Dame in the Eternal City Tip-Off.

The Wildcats (0-1) started the game on a 4-0 run with quick baskets from star junior Jasmine Bascoe (26 points), the first coming off her own steal. Notre Dame countered with a 7-0 run that began with four points from their own star guard, two-time ACC Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo (32 points); Elise Bender tied the game with a three, her first bucket in a Villanova uniform after redshirting last season, but the Fighting Irish closed the quarter on a 13-6 run. Hidalgo sank two threes to open the second period, pushing the Wildcats’ deficit to double digits. Notre Dame’s height provided a significant advantage: they dominated the paint 50-32 and made 55.9 percent of their shots on the night.

The Wildcats made 41.4 percent of their shots, but an 18-of-35 clip with the game already out of reach in the second half boosted their final line considerably.

Even so, Villanova struggled to string together runs of more than two shots, preventing them from regaining meaningful ground. Their offense opened up for 49 points in the second half as four of the Irish were whistled for three fouls, but they were already in too deep of a hole to recover from.

Secondary scoring hurt the Wildcats throughout. After Bascoe, Elise Bender (14 points) was the only other player to finish in double digits; sophomore guard Kennedy Henry (eight points) was held off the board in the first half as the Irish pulled away.

Up next, Villanova will travel to face Princeton, another NCAA Tournament hopeful, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.