ROME — Villanova had the pope's support and many more traveling fans. Notre Dame prevailed on the court.
The Fighting Irish produced a late comeback for a 74-72 victory in the men's game that opened the college basketball season in Rome on Sunday. Then Hannah Hidalgo starred as the No. 13 Notre Dame women also won to complete a sweep of Pope Leo's alma mater, beating Villanova 99-75.
“We were locked in watching (the men) and they gave us a great good luck,” Notre Dame women’s coach Niele Ivey said. “What’s better than one win is two.
“The experience of being overseas, it felt like an NCAA game,” Ivey added. “The matchup, the stage, the lights, it felt very much like we were in March.”
The doubleheader between the two Catholic universities, dubbed the Eternal City Tip-Off, was created to honor the first American pope, who was not in attendance for the games.
But Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV did receive all four teams in an audience at the Vatican on Saturday.
“I’ve been a part of some really cool things and this is right at the top of the list of experiences,” Notre Dame men's coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “We played two road games in the (preseason) and it came in handy because the Villanova fans were loud.”
At the Vatican a day earlier, Leo told the teams from alma mater Villanova and fellow Catholic university Notre Dame that in matters of sport, the pontiff was neutral.
Then the pope, who was born Robert Prevost, said his former self might disagree.
“Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now,” he said to laughs during a whooping, cheering audience of 7,000 people from both schools — players, coaches, fans and their families — in the Vatican audience hall.
Inside the basketball arena, many Villanova fans wore Wildcats jerseys featuring the name of “Pope Leo” and a “XIV” for his number.
Leo graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova, the Augustinian school near Philadelphia. He was born in Chicago — not all that far from Notre Dame, which is located in South Bend, Indiana.
Villanova fans also held aloft a banner featuring Pope Leo depicted wearing a Villanova jersey reaching out to the university's president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, in a playful scene reminiscent of Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel.
“We just had a (tough) loss, but this has been a phenomenal experience, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Villanova men's coach Kevin Willard said.
“To see (the pope's) love for Villanova. To see what he’s done for the Catholic Church and really for people all over, it was, I don’t have the words to be perfectly honest with you, that’s how special it was. And we’re just blessed that it happened,” Willard added.
The games were played at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, which is located about a half-hour drive from the Vatican. Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, who was considered a candidate for pope until Leo was elected last year, was at the arena. So was Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Vatican City state.
The schools also brought their team chaplains to Rome.
The games were played on All Saints’ Day — a major Catholic holiday.
“It’s such a blessing,” said Hidalgo, the high scorer of the day with 32 points — not to mention eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. “Just to be here in Rome, we were able to go to the Vatican, see the Pope and do all these things.”
Before tipoff, there was a moment of prayer and the U.S. and Italian national anthems were sung.
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