Notre Dame Swept Villanova in Rome: Leah Macy Went 11 for 14 in a 99-75 Win After the Men Came Back to Win 74-72

Notre Dame Swept Villanova in Rome: Leah Macy Went 11 for 14 in a 99-75 Win After the Men Came Back to Win 74-72

The Eternal City Tip-Off opened the college basketball season at Rome's Palazzo dello Sport. Notre Dame's men shot 35 percent and still won on 20 Villanova turnovers; the women's frontcourt took over the nightcap.

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College basketball's first games of 2026-27 were played about a half-hour drive from the Vatican, and Notre Dame left Rome with two wins over Villanova. The men won 74-72 with a late comeback. The women followed with a 99-75 win built inside.

The Eternal City Tip-Off doubleheader was played Sunday at the Palazzo dello Sport. On Saturday both programs and their fans had an audience with Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus, according to the Associated Press.

Notre Dame Men: 35 Percent Shooting, 20 Villanova Turnovers

Notre Dame shot 23 of 65 (35 percent) and trailed for most of the second half. It won anyway because Villanova turned it over 20 times to Notre Dame's 11, and the Irish grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, per the ESPN box score. Notre Dame had 14 steals and scored 20 points off turnovers to Villanova's 10.

Brady Koehler had 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks without a turnover. His dunk cut the lead to one with 1:36 left, Logan Duncomb's 3-pointer with 1:08 left gave the Irish their first lead of the half at 70-68, and Koehler's two free throws with four seconds left made it 74-70. Braeden Smith scored 16, 10 of them on 10 of 11 free throws, with four steals.

Tyler Perkins led Villanova with 18 points and five 3-pointers before fouling out with 16.3 seconds left. Luigi Suigo, the 7-foot-3 Italian center, had seven points in his debut on home soil.

Notre Dame Women: Leah Macy 27 and 14

In the women's game, Notre Dame outscored Villanova 50-32 in the paint. Leah Macy made 11 of 14 shots for 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass, per the ESPN box score. Hannah Hidalgo added 32 points on 11 of 19 with eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and Madison St. Rose scored 17. Notre Dame shot 56 percent and led for 91 percent of the game.

Jasmine Bascoe kept Villanova close early with 26 points and nine assists.

Next for Notre Dame

Both teams go home to Purcell Pavilion this week: the men host Mercyhurst on Thursday, Nov. 5, and the women host Stonehill on Friday, Nov. 6. More college basketball is on the BallerTube college basketball page.