Villanova women's basketball dropped its season opener 99-75 to No. 13 Notre Dame at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Junior guard Jasmine Bascoe paced the Wildcats with 26 points and nine assists, according to The Villanovan.
Redshirt freshman EJ Bender made her college debut a productive one, finishing with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
"EJ, I know she was excited for her first official game, and she showed why we like her," head coach Denise Dillon said, according to The Villanovan. "She's tough out there."
Freshman Alexis Eberz added six points.
Notre Dame senior guard Hannah Hidalgo led all scorers with 32 points and seven rebounds. The Irish built a 20-13 lead after the first quarter and stretched it to 45-26 by halftime.
Villanova rallied in the third quarter and trimmed the deficit to 57-40. Notre Dame pulled away again in the fourth to seal the win.
Dillon said the loss was a lesson for her young team in what it takes to be successful, adding that Notre Dame showed why it is a top-15 program.
Villanova faces Princeton on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
