Not even Pope Leo could save Villanova from turnover-filled collapse vs Notre Dame

No special prayers from Pope Leo XIV could help Villanova men’s basketball leave Rome with a victory on Sunday.

Playing in the shadow of the Vatican, Villanova — of which Pope Leo XIV is an alum — watched its advantage slowly slip away in the closing minutes against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish erased the deficit late and handed Villanova a 74-72 loss in the Eternal City Tip-Off at Palazzo dello Sport in Rome on Sunday, Nov. 1.

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The collapse of Kevin Willard’s squad had multiple factors, most notably 20 turnovers and poor offensive shooting down the stretch. Notre Dame big man Logan Duncomb hit the eventual go-ahead 3-pointer off a Villanova turnover to give the Fighting Irish the lead with just over 60 seconds remaining in the game.

Duncomb’s 3-pointer, which had the small contingent of Notre Dame fans on their feet and Fox Sports’ Bill Raftrey already in midseason form, provided the Fighting Irish with their first lead since they were up 16-15 in the first half.

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It also came during a 16-10 run from Notre Dame in the final 7:26 of the second half.

Villanova’s offense was abysmal down the stretch, including in the closing seconds. Down two points after Duncomb’s triple, Kwame Evans Jr. attempted a 3-pointer, but his attempt was blocked by Brady Koehler.

Then, with under 20 seconds and facing another two-point deficit after Notre Dame missed the front end of a one-and-one, Elijah Crawford took an early mid-range shot that rolled out of the rim. Notre Dame stole the roll-out at the line to seal the win.

Tyler Perkins gave Villanova a 60-50 lead with 10:24 to go in the second half. The Wildcats then made just two of their next nine attempts and committed two critical turnovers.

The Wildcats committed 20 turnovers in the loss, including 15 in the first half, and Notre Dame capitalized on those mistakes by scoring 20 points off turnovers. Until Darryl Simmons…

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Publish date : 2026-11-01 19:27:00

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