Box Score PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Career highs in scoring from senior
Phil Booth (23 points) and sophomore
Collin Gillespie (16) helped carry the No. 9/8 Villanova Wildcats past Quinnipiac 86-53 before a crowd of 10,216 on Alumni Night at the Wells Fargo Center. Villanova is now 2-0 in the young season while the Bobcats – coached by former Wildcats associate head coach Baker Dunleavy – dropped their season opener.
Villanova scored nine of the game's first 12 points and never trailed after that. A strong defensive effort played a substantial role in the outcome. The Bobcats connected on 19-of-56 field goal attempts (.339) and were just 5-of-21 (.238) from beyond the 3-point arc.
"I was proud of our leadership," stated Villanova head coach
Jay Wright. "Phil and Eric (Paschall) set a great defensive tone for us in the first half. Collin is now in a leadership role as Phil was as a younger guy and I thought he did a great job too."
Following a 10 minute delay at the start of the contest owed to scoreboard and shot clock wiring issues, the Wildcats jumped out to a 9-3 lead over the Bobcats with Booth setting an early tone. The Baltimore native dropped in a 3-pointer to open the scoring and then found a cutting
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree for an early dunk to help VU craft that lead after 4:05 of action.
Quinnipiac, meanwhile, struggled to find an offensive flow in the early going thanks to some fine work at the defensive end by the Wildcats. The Bobcats converted just 1-of-11 in the first 8:21 of the contest and that allowed VU to grab a 16-3 advantage midway through the period.
Even two early fouls whistled on senior
Eric Paschall didn't slow the Wildcats. Booth's offense – he would finish the first half with 15 points – and continued stingy defense – Quinnipiac was limited to 7-of-26 shooting in the first 20 minutes – helped Villanova craft a 44-21 lead with 16.3 seconds to play in the half.
The 'Cats then capped the period with a smoothly executed corner 3-pointer from freshman
Saddiq Bey to take a 47-20 lead into the locker room.
Dunleavy mentioned in his postgame remarks that after watching Villanova's season opener, he sensed there could be trouble afoot.
"He told me in the hallway that he knew a buzzsaw was coming," noted Wright. "We played OK against Morgan State. We just didn't have our defensive intensity and I thought Morgan State did a good job of pressing and bringing the defensive intensity. We've got a lot of young guys that have to learn that.
"I thought we learned that. Phil, Eric and Collin set the tone defensively for us."
In its first two offensive possessions of the second half, Villanova got 3-pointers from Booth and graduate transfer
Joe Cremo to push its lead to 53-20 in the first minute of the period. Paschall – limited to 5:47 minutes in the first half after picking up two early fouls – stepped forward in a large way, reeling off five points in the first 4:19 of the half.
A 3-pointer from the right wing by Booth midway through the period raised his evening's total to 23 points, establishing a new career high. His previous best was a 21 point effort in a January 2018 victory over Xavier. Gillespie, meanwhile, eclipsed his previous high of 12 points set against St. John's last season.
The final count was 86-53.
As for facing his friend and former aide, Dunleavy, Wright maintained the ambivalence he talked about prior to the meeting.
"It seemed like a good idea when we talked about it," Wright said. "But then the week before it happens as you start watching film of them do what we do, it's less fun. I didn't particularly enjoy it.
"I was glad to see him back here though. This was Alumni Night and he's really respected and love by our alumni. It was great to have him here for that."
The Wildcats resume action on Wednesday night when they welcome the University of Michigan to the Finneran Pavilion as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. This rematch of last April's NCAA national championship clash will get underway at 6:30 p.m. (FS1 and 610 ESPN Radio/TuneIn).
