Notre Dame overcomes late Villanova lead in Rome season opener

Notre Dame defeated Villanova 74-72 on Sunday in Rome.

The Fighting Irish trailed for most of the second half but mounted a closing surge to take the win in the college basketball season opener.

Brady Koehler scored 16 points for Notre Dame, which has 10 new players on the roster. Braeden Smith also contributed 16 points.

With 1:36 left in the game, Koehler executed a dunk that reduced Villanova's lead to one point. Logan Duncomb followed with a three-pointer at the 1:08 mark to give Notre Dame its first lead of the second half at 70-68.

Koehler made two free throws with four seconds remaining to establish a 74-70 advantage. The score held as Tyler Perkins, who led Villanova with 18 points, fouled out with 16.3 seconds to play.

The event, named the Eternal City Tip-Off, featured a pre-game audience with Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus, on Saturday. Both teams are unranked in the preseason AP Top 25.

The game took place at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, located roughly a half-hour drive from the Vatican. Villanova supporters comprised the larger share of the crowd.

Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3 Italian making his debut for Villanova, finished with seven points, including two dunks and a three-pointer. The arena announcer called his name as "Su-su-su Suigo" after his scoring plays.

Villanova seeks to end a four-year streak without an NCAA Tournament victory. The Wildcats lost in the first round to Utah State last season, following a three-year absence from the tournament after the retirement of coach Jay Wright.

Notre Dame will host Mercyhurst on Thursday. Villanova plays Holy Cross on Friday and La Salle four days later.