Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS – The Villanova Wildcats came back to win a wild game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night to post their 10th overall win of the season. The setback for Butler moves their overall record to 5-14.
 
Butler led for nearly 39 minutes against Villanova, but a huge fourth quarter rally would flip the momentum of the game and give the Wildcats life. Butler opened the game on a 10-0 scoring run and would move forward to take a 19-5 lead after the first quarter.
 
The second and third quarters would end even with each side scoring 14 in the second and just 10 in the third. Villanova only had 29 points heading into the final 10 minutes of play, but would outscore Butler 30-16 in the fourth to reach overtime.
 
Sydney Buck and Tori Schickel knocked down clutch free throw attempts to hold onto the BU lead late in the fourth, but a controversial call in the final seconds would give Villanova the opportunity to tie the game.
 
With less than 10 seconds on the game clock and a three-point lead on the scoreboard, Butler elected to foul Villanova to send Alex Louin to the line for two shots. The first time this happened Louin was fouled with six seconds remaining and made a pair from the charity stripe. Butler got the ball inbounds to Schickel with five seconds and after being fouled, Schickel would match Louin with a pair of free throws.
 
Butler's strategy would fold the second time around as Louin felt a bump and tossed the ball in the air with just two seconds to play. The official awarded Louin three shots, indicating that she was in the act of shooting even though she was near midcourt when the contact occurred. Louin calmly walked to the charity stripe and hit all three free throws to force the extra five minutes.
 
Butler scored first in overtime by feeding Schickel in the paint, but Nova would answer with a triple from Grace Stant. A layup from Mary Gedaka would move the lead to three and a huge 3-pointer from Megan Quinn would give Nova a four-point advantage with just 36 seconds left.
 
Schickel had seven of her game-high 28 points in the overtime period, but the Wildcats would make free throws down the stretch to win the game. Gedaka moved the Wildcat lead to four with a free throw with just seven seconds remaining. The shot came up huge as Sydney Buck would bury a three for BU at the buzzer.
 
Buck scored 19 points, going 4-for-8 from behind the arc and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. She was part of a one-two punch that included Schickel who posted her second 20-20 game of the season and her third of her young career. Schickel shot 10-for-23 to net 28 points and would hit the offensive glass to collect nine of her game-high 20 rebounds.
 
The third member of the BU scoring trio was Michelle Weaver. The combo guard scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.
 
Butler used Schickel to score 36 points in the paint, but the Wildcats would counter by hitting 11 3-point field goals. Butler's defense was phenomenal early as they held Nova to 1-of-16 shooting in the opening quarter. The Wildcats adjusted to shoot 46 percent in the fourth and 27 percent for the game.
 
Mary Gedaka and Alex Louin led the comeback for Villanova. Gedaka came off the bench to score 20 points and Louin's clutch free throws moved her scoring total to 16.
 
BU locked down Adrianna Hahn for a majority of the game, but the skilled guard would score eight late to push her total to nine for the game.
 
Butler led by as many as 22 in the third quarter, but two 7-0 scoring runs in the second half would ignite the Villanova offense. Grace Stant hit four 3-pointers to help the cause while Gedaka continued to drive to the bucket.
 
Butler will now have to move forward to focus on the Georgetown Hoyas who visit Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday, Jan. 22. Tip is slated for 1 PM.