Villanova faced off against Quinnipiac in their first game at the Wells Fargo Center on 

Saturday Night. Coming off a great win on opening night against Morgan State, the ‘Cats hoped to keep the momentum going with another big victory, and they did just that, downing the Bobcats 86-53.

 Right off the tip, the ‘Cats hit their stride. Villanova began to pull away quickly as all of the starters made an early impact. Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree started at the five in this one, and quickly put four points on the board off an alley-oop and a hook shot, getting the energy going in Wells Fargo. Colin Gillespie also got the start and immediately showed off his shooting prowess. His first two shots dropped, as he scored five points in the opening few minutes. Soon enough, the ‘Cats had pulled away to a 27-6 lead about halfway through the first half. 

They did not slow down as the game progressed. Collin continued to make shots over and over again, finishing with 16 points on nine shots. Phil Booth made the start at point guard and left this one as the player of the game. He put up 15 in the first half, helping the ‘Cats into halftime with a 47-20 lead. Booth finished with 23 points, shooting 7-16, including 3-6 from deep, and 6-6 from the line. Booth continually scored throughout the game and looked like one of the leaders of the team in this one. He was able to find his shot when he wanted and drew fouls on his drives to the hoop. 

Eric Paschall made solid contributions in the second half, scoring most of his 11 later in the game, including a powerful and-1 dunk 16:36 left in the 2nd. His rebounding ability was on display as well as he finished with eight rebounds, including three on the offensive end. Joe Cremo also had another solid performance, scoring eight on six shots. It looks like the senior transfer may be the most impactful addition for Coach Wright, as he has lived up to his expectations as a very reliable and efficient shooter. 

Off the bench, rookie Saddiq Bey played another solid game and has shown to be a great contributor so far this season. The other rookies had a quiet night, and it looks like Jahvon Quinerly and Cole Swider are still finding their stride on the team. However, they both showed flashes on Friday night, making some solid defensive plays throughout the game. After maintaining a nearly 30-point lead for almost the whole game, Villanova took the win 86-53. The entire team played well from the tip to the end, shooting a very efficient 32-68 from the field. They play one of their biggest games of the season next Wednesday at home against Michigan, the team they took down last year for the national championship. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.