Villanova let a 10-point second-half lead slip away Nov. 1 in Rome, falling 74-72 to Notre Dame in the Eternal City Tip-Off at the Palazzo dello Sport.

The Wildcats committed 20 turnovers and allowed 18 offensive rebounds in the season opener, the first NCAA Division I regular-season men's basketball game ever played in Italy, according to the Big East Conference.

Senior guard Tyler Perkins led Villanova with 18 points, shooting 5-for-11 from three-point range. He opened the second half with three consecutive three-pointers to push the Wildcats' lead to nine, according to the Villanova athletics department. That advantage grew to 10 midway through the period.

Then it vanished.

Notre Dame closed the game on a 21-12 run. Logan Duncomb hit a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining to give the Fighting Irish their first lead since early in the first half, 70-68, as reported by ESPN. Brady Koehler and Braeden Smith each finished with 16 points to lead Notre Dame.

Perkins fouled out with 16.3 seconds left. Junior guard Elijah Crawford hit two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to pull Villanova within two, and a missed Notre Dame free throw gave the Wildcats a chance to tie at 72. Crawford's shot attempt missed, and Notre Dame sealed the win with two free throws with four seconds on the clock, The Villanovan reported.

Head coach Kevin Willard pointed to ball control as the difference. Villanova turned it over 15 times in the first half alone, allowing Notre Dame to score 12 points off those mistakes. The Wildcats cut their turnovers to five after halftime but could not overcome the damage on the glass.

Graduate forward Kwame Evans Jr. made his Villanova debut after missing exhibition games with a left leg injury. The Oregon transfer logged 22 minutes and posted seven points and seven rebounds. Willard said fifth-year guard Jake Fiegen started in Evans' typical spot for defensive purposes.

Fiegen played 38 minutes and scored 11 points, shooting 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Freshman guard Adam Oumiddoch provided a spark off the bench in the first half, scoring seven consecutive points during a 9-0 Villanova run that gave the Wildcats a 22-16 lead. He played nine minutes total, only two in the second half.

Italian freshman Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 center making his Villanova debut on home soil, finished with seven points on two dunks and a three-pointer. When he scored, the arena announcer yelled, "Su-su-su Suigo," according to ESPN.

The game day capped a weekend that included a private Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and an audience with Villanova alumnus Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 31.

Villanova (0-1) hosts Holy Cross at Finneran Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.