Notre Dame rallies past Villanova in Rome season opener

The men's college basketball season opened on Sunday with a matchup between two Catholic universities in Rome, Italy. Notre Dame defeated Villanova 74-72 in a game that required a late surge to close out the score.

The Fighting Irish trailed for the majority of the second half. Brady Koehler and Braeden Smith each scored 16 points for a Notre Dame roster that includes 10 new players. The team held a 11,000-seat arena at the Palazzo dello Sport, a venue located about 30 minutes from the Vatican.

The game shifted with 1 minute and 36 seconds remaining. Koehler executed a dunk that reduced Villanova's lead to one point. Shortly after, Logan Duncomb hit a three-pointer with 1 minute and 8 seconds on the clock. That basket gave Notre Dame a 70-68 lead, the first time the Fighting Irish had been ahead in the second half.

Villanova's Tyler Perkins, who led his team with 18 points, committed a foul with 16.3 seconds left. He fouled out of the game. Koehler then made two free throws with 4 seconds remaining to extend the Notre Dame lead to 74-70 and secure the win.

The event, named the Eternal City Tip-Off, featured an audience with Pope Leo XIV for both teams on Saturday. Villanova, which had significantly more fans in the stands, is attempting to reverse a four-year drought without an NCAA Tournament victory. That span includes three years without a game following the retirement of Jay Wright and a first-round loss to Utah State last season.

Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 Italian making his debut for Villanova, contributed seven points. He recorded two dunks and one three-pointer. The arena announcer chanted his name whenever he scored.

Notre Dame plays Mercyhurst in its home opener on Thursday. Villanova faces Holy Cross on Friday in its home opener and then meets La Salle four days later.