Notre Dame Stuns Villanova in Rome With Late Comeback
Brady Koehler scored the final points in a 74-72 victory that snapped a four-year NCAA tournament losing streak for the Wildcats.
By Jacob Reynolds ·
Two unranked Catholic universities opened the college basketball season in Rome, Italy, on Sunday. Notre Dame defeated Villanova 74-72 after trailing for much of the second half in the Eternal City Tip-Off.
The game featured a late surge from the Fighting Irish, who were outscored early in the contest. Villanova led for the majority of the second period, but Notre Dame closed the gap in the final two minutes. Brady Koehler and Braeden Smith each scored 16 points for the Irish, who are fielding 10 new players this season.
With 1:36 left on the clock, Koehler dunked to cut the Villanova lead to one point. Logan Duncomb followed with a three-pointer at the 1:08 mark to give Notre Dame a 70-68 lead, the first time the Irish led in the second half. Koehler then hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to extend the lead to 74-70 and effectively end the game.
Villanova's Tyler Perkins fouled out with 16.3 seconds left. He finished with 18 points for the Wildcats. The loss marks the fourth consecutive year Villanova has failed to win an NCAA Tournament game. The program has not advanced past the first round since Jay Wright's retirement, and it lost to Utah State in the previous season.
The matchup took place at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, located about 30 minutes from the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus, attended an audience with both teams and their fans on Saturday. Villanova supporters made up the majority of the crowd at the arena.
Italian forward Luigi Suigo made his debut for Villanova in his home country. The 7-foot-3 player scored seven points, including two dunks and a three-pointer. The arena announcer called his name in a rhythmic chant during his scoring runs. The game was the first of a doubleheader, with a women's contest scheduled to follow immediately.
Notre Dame will play its home opener against Mercyhurst on Thursday. Villanova faces Holy Cross on Friday in its home opener, followed by a game against La Salle four days later. Both schools are currently unranked in the preseason AP Top 25.
Source: KSL.com
