Villanova’s opening game at the Myrtle Beach Invitational turned into a day at the Beach. The ‘Cats were sharp at both ends of the court and used an excellent start to take control of the game before the first media timeout.

I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic when I say that the first half was the best half the Wildcats have played this season. The energy and focus were fantastic. They were locked in defensively, doing an excellent job communicating and switching on MTSU’s screens and dribble handoffs. They challenged almost all of the Blue Raiders’ long-distance shots, holding MTSU to 2-7 from beyond the arc. And they did an excellent job of getting back defensively and cutting off transition opportunities for the Blue Raiders.

Offensively, the ‘Cats moved the ball beautifully. As a result, seven ‘Cats scored and they shot 60.6 percent from the field and 52.4 percent from three. They assisted on 16 of their 20 made baskets and committed just four turnovers. The result was a 53-28 halftime lead.

Cole Swider poured in a career-high 21 points in the first half, hitting 5-6 from three. Perhaps even more impressive was his activity. He pulled in four rebounds, including two offensive boards that he turned into buckets. The rebounding also caught Jay Wright’s eye, who told reporters after the game “he’s (Swider) more than just a shooter.” Wright also praised Swider’s defense.

Collin Gillespie started hot, scoring eight points in the first minute of the game and finishing the half with 14. He did a great job orchestrating the offense, dishing out five first-half assists.

Justin Moore chipped in 10 points. Jermaine Samuels, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, and Brandon Slater also made the score sheet in the first half.

The solid play continued in the second half. The margin wasn’t as pronounced, but the ‘Cats kept MTSU at bay throughout the half and tacked four points onto the margin by the time the final buzzer sounded, giving ‘Nova a 98-69 win.

Swider led the way with 26 points and seven rebounds. He was 10-15 from the floor and 6-11 from three and chipped in two assists. It was great to see his shot falling, but what was even more impressive was his activity and movement. A really nice game from the sophomore.

Gillespie had 16 points and seven assists, hitting 4-6 from three and doing a wonderful job running the offense. He also did an excellent job setting the tone early, and in a strange environment with an unusual start time, the importance of that can’t be overstated. Gillespie said after the game that he really wanted to set a tone, especially defensively, early on Thursday and he certainly succeeded there.

Moore finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. He showed some nice flashes both with his shot and with getting to the rim.

Bryan Antoine made his Villanova debut, chipping in nine points, two assists, a rebound, and a steal. It was great to see him out there. Wright said he was pleased with how Antoine looked and with how connected the team stayed while adding a new piece, and that was a big factor in being able to keep him out there.

Brandon Slater added seven points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jermaine Samuels, and Saddiq Bey each chipped in six points. JRE added 10 rebounds, while Bey had four assists.

Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree had four points, five rebounds, an assist, and a block. He still hasn’t had the kind of impact I was hoping he would, but today was a step in the right direction. He showed some good patience on a couple of plays that got him a bucket and an assist, and he isn’t trying to force anything.

Chris Arcidiacono chipped in three points and an assist.

There was a lot to like about the Wildcats performance. They did an excellent job limiting the Blue Raiders in the areas where they could hurt them early in the game, helping ‘Nova put things out of reach early. ‘Nova got back in transition and limited those opportunities for MTSU and really did a great job of challenging the Blue Raiders on the perimeter. MTSU shot just 22.2 percent from three as they had a Villanova had in its face on almost every attempt. Leading scorer Antonio Green was held to just four points, shooting 0-5 from three despite connecting on 50 percent on the season. Backcourt mate C.J. Jones was also held under his season average, netting 16 points. Wright mentioned after the game that they were concerned about Green and Jones and that he was pleased with his team’s effort. Really nice job by the ‘Cats defensively.

Offensively, ‘Nova moved the ball beautifully. The ‘Cats committed 11 turnovers, certainly a manageable number. They took smart shots and looked crisp and fluid. The balanced scoring was encouraging as well, with three ‘Cats in double-figures and 10 scoring at least one bucket.

It was arguably the most complete effort of the season for Villanova. The focus and energy were fantastic, and the ‘Cats were ready to play from the opening tip. The result was a dominant win and put ‘Nova on the track towards another early-season tournament championship. ‘Nova will get the winner of Mississippi State and Tulane on Friday (Miss. St. currently leads 10-5).