Villanova rolls in its first game at new-look Pavillion

VILLANOVA, PA. >> Villanova started to head out for the second half toward its rehabilitated court when it somehow got lost in a maze of exits and sprinted out the wrong end.

“Everything’s a first,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “We’re figuring it out.”

The Wildcats will quickly get used to the intricacies of their digs.

They already seem quite at home, and as dominant as usual, at the new-look Pavilion.

Eric Paschall scored 26 points, Phil Booth had 17 and No. 9 Villanova opened its national championship defense with a 100-77 win over Morgan State on Tuesday night.

“I feel like we have great potential,” Paschall said.

The Wildcats always do — they’ve won 12 straight games dating to last season and won their 16th consecutive season opener.

The new kid on the block that shone the most was the refurbished Pavilion, which closed for a season and forced the Wildcats to play a year in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. Villanova’s on-campus court underwent a $65 million facelift that would have made the Property Brothers jealous.

The Wildcats couldn’t put a price tag on their sweetest accessory — the 2018 national championship banner raised high above midcourt. Under Wright, Villanova has won two of the last three national championships, and seating for this season is at a premium.