MILAN, Italy — Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of U.S. immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games’ opening ceremony.

The reported presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to protect Americans around the Olympics has galvanized protests, given their front-line role in U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation push at home.

“ICE OUT” and “ICE should be in my drinks not my city” read some of the banners held by the student-led demonstrators.

Blowing plastic whistles, which have become a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the U.S., the demonstrators in Milan also urged visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to go home.

“I thought that this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not OK with what’s happening in Minnesota,” said Katie Legare, a protester from Minnesota currently studying in Europe, in reference to ICE agents’ killing of two U.S. citizens in her home city.

“It’s not OK to just acquiesce and go with the status quo. But to say there’s something wrong that’s happening and to speak out.”

Italy’s government has said the controversy is unfounded, with ICE personnel not on the streets during the Olympics and only operatives from its Homeland Security Investigations in Italy working out of U.S. diplomatic missions.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has also said no agents from ICE were providing security for Team USA.

With the opening ceremony due on Friday evening, Italian authorities ordered schools in central Milan to remain shut and blocked access to some areas to bolster security and ease traffic disruptions.

In the afternoon, a separate demonstration was held in a square near the San Siro stadium, where the opening ceremony will take place.

A few hundred people — including a committee of public-housing tenants protesting against the high cost of living, and the Unsustainable Olympics Committee, which accuses the government of funneling public funds rather than supporting lower-income residents — marched against what they see as the social and economic impact of the Games.

Protesters say the Olympics are a waste of money and resources while housing prices are unaffordable and public meeting places scarce. Some demonstrators also chanted slogans criticizing Israel and expressing support for Palestinians.

On Thursday, environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of Milan’s cathedral, protesting the role of Italian oil major Eni ENI.MI as a sponsor of the Games.

Later on Friday a torchlit march organized by a protest movement against the Games is expected in an area close to the site of the opening ceremony.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media

Once one of the premier powerhouses of the Big East Conference, Georgetown has not won five straight league games since 2013.

Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas (13-10, 5-7) have a chance to accomplish the feat, but it won’t be easy as they face Villanova (17-5, 8-3).

The sudden turnaround of Georgetown came after it lost six straight, with the final defeat of that skid coming at Villanova 66-51 as the Hoyas committed 17 turnovers and made just 34.0% of their shots from the field.

The Hoyas have shown vast improvement over the past two weeks, topping two of the teams that beat them last month. Now they have a chance to avenge another defeat.

The most recent win came at home Tuesday over Creighton 76-68 as KJ Lewis and Malik Mack scored 22 and 20 points respectively and combined for 13 rebounds and seven steals.

“It’s not where we started, it’s where we’re going and what we’re trying to do,” Georgetown coach Ed Cooley told his team afterward in a video-taped session in the locker room. “Take care of one another. Little by little, we’re making steps.”

Vince Iwuchukwu, Georgetown’s 7-foot-1 center who missed 10 games earlier this year when he underwent a medical procedure, has scored in double figures in each game of the Hoyas’ streak, including a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against Creighton.

While Georgetown needs to keep winning to enter the NCAA Tournament discussion, Villanova has strong credentials at No. 32 in the NET Rankings.

Not that coach Kevin Willard is satisfied.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Willard said Tuesday after completing a regular-season sweep of his former team, Seton Hall, with a 72-60 win.

“You should be looking at your team right now in February and saying, ‘What do I need to improve? What do I need to fix?’ Willard added. “I’m not satisfied with anything.”

The balanced Wildcats have six players averaging between 9.5 and 13.6 points per game and are the best 3-point shooting team in the Big East at 36.5%.

The top threats are backcourt mates Bryce Lindsay (13.6 points), who has 58 triples, and Tyler Perkins (13 points), who has made 39 3-pointers.

–Field Level Media

As Missouri battles to make the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68, perhaps the most important number it needs to pay attention to is 332.

That is where the Tigers currently sit, out of 361 Division I teams, in free-throw shooting percentage as coach Dennis Gates’ team faces South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday.

Missouri (15-7, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) has made just 67.4% of its shots from the free-throw line, making the team dead last in the SEC. That includes an atrocious 34.8% (8-for-23) showing in a 90-64 setback at Alabama last month.

The Tigers rebounded in an 84-79 victory over Mississippi State last week, making 75.8% (25 for 33) of their free throws, including 10 of 12 in the final two minutes to hold off the Bulldogs.

It is not the sexiest statistic, but it could end up making the difference as Missouri tries to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“That’s good coaching. I was able to telepathically get into their brain right there on the line and start whispering, ‘Calm down, calm down.’ And you just saw a swish. So, the coaching. I’ll take that today,” Gates said.

Mark Mitchell led Missouri with 19 points and seven rebounds in the triumph over Mississippi State. T.O. Barrett added 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

Trent Pierce, who made 19 starts last season but missed this year’s entire nonconference schedule, started for the first time in nine appearances this year and made two early 3-pointers on the way to 13 points.

Mitchell leads the team with 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 20 of 22 games. Jayden Stone is averaging 14.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.

The Tigers are just 1-3 on the road in the conference, but in South Carolina, they are facing a spiraling squad poised to miss the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine years. The Gamecocks have lost four straight and eight of 10.

South Carolina has dropped two straight and four of five at home and lost its last outing 84-75 at Texas on Tuesday despite jumping out to an early lead.

“We did a lot of right things that allowed us to be in a position to win the game. … Our first responsibility was to do enough right things that when it got to game-winning time, you were right there to win the game,” Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris said. “It stings to be in that position and then in the last 2 1/2, 3 minutes, not be in a position to win the game.”

Meechie Johnson scored a career-best 35 points while shooting 12 of 21 from the field and 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. Elijah Strong added 12 points.

Johnson leads the team with a career-best 16.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals. He is averaging 22.6 points over his last seven games.

“Meechie has had a good year. He’s been getting better at his one-on-one attacking,” Paris said. “So he’s been doing that a lot more, I’d say, in the last few games, especially getting to the rim and finishing strong. That’s been a point of emphasis for him to try to improve.”

–Field Level Media