Notre Dame rallies to beat Villanova 74-72 in Rome season opener

Notre Dame defeated Villanova 74-72 on Sunday to win the men's college basketball season opener in Rome.

The Fighting Irish trailed for most of the second half before mounting a late surge. Brady Koehler and Braeden Smith each scored 16 points for Notre Dame, which welcomed 10 new players to the roster this season. Villanova's Tyler Perkins led the Wildcats with 18 points before fouling out with 16.3 seconds remaining.

The contest took place at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, located about 30 minutes from the Vatican. Both teams are unranked in the preseason AP Top 25. The event, known as the Eternal City Tip-Off, featured an audience with Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus, on Saturday for the players and fans. Villanova supporters made up the majority of the crowd at the nonconference matchup between the two Catholic universities.

Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 Italian native making his debut for Villanova, contributed seven points. He recorded two dunks and made a three-point shot. The arena announcer chanted his name as he scored. The men's game served as the first event of a doubleheader, with a women's game between the two schools scheduled immediately afterward.

Koehler's dunk cut Villanova's lead to one point with 1:36 left. Logan Duncomb hit a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining to give Notre Dame its first lead in the second half, 70-68. Koehler then made two free throws with four seconds left, extending the Irish advantage to 74-70 to secure the win.

Villanova seeks to end a four-year drought without an NCAA Tournament win. The team missed the tournament for three years following the retirement of Jay Wright and lost in the first round to Utah State last season. Notre Dame plays Mercyhurst in its home opener on Thursday. Villanova faces Holy Cross in its home opener on Friday and then meets La Salle four days later.