Irish rally to open season with win over Villanova in Rome — SkimNews
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- Notre Dame rallied from a deficit after trailing for most of the second half to beat Villanova 74-70 in Sunday’s Eternal City Tip-Off; both teams were unranked in the preseason AP Top 25.
- Brady Koehler scored 16 points, matching Braeden Smith, then cut Villanova’s lead to one with a dunk at 1:36 before making two free throws with four seconds left to seal a 74-70 lead.
- Logan Duncomb hit a three-pointer with 1:08 remaining to put Notre Dame ahead 70-68, its first lead of the second half.
- Tyler Perkins fouled out with 16.3 seconds left after leading Villanova with 18 points.
- Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus, attended the Eternal City Tip-Off with both teams and their fans on Saturday.
- Luigi Suigo, the 7-foot-3 Italian making his Villanova debut on home soil, recorded two dunks and a three-pointer for seven points.
- Micah Shrewsberry credited two preseason road games for Notre Dame’s readiness against the loud Villanova crowd.
Why it matters: Notre Dame’s 74-70 win gives a team with 10 new players a successful season opener, with Shrewsberry crediting two preseason road games for the hostile environment. Villanova saw leading scorer Tyler Perkins foul out with 16.3 seconds left and remains in a revival push after four years without an NCAA tournament victory.
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