Box Score
Butler knocked off top-ranked Villanova, 66-58, in front of a sell-out crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday night, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season and their first loss in 20 games dating back to last season for the defending national champions.
The Bulldogs ended the game on a 15-6 run to take the win. After Josh Hart gave Villanova a 52-51 lead with 3:22 to play,
Kethan Savage responded with the go-ahead basket. A
Kelan Martin jumper and Savage three-point play would push the lead to six. A steal and reverse lay-in by
Kamar Baldwin and free throws down the stretch would seal the victory.
"That's an unbelievable program and a terrific team, and we have the utmost respect for the way they play," said Butler coach
Chris Holtmann of the top-ranked Wildcats. "For us to stay with it and battle long enough to win says a lot about us too. Players win games and our players did that down the stretch."
Savage and
Andrew Chrabascz led a balanced Butler effort with 13 points apiece. Chrabascz added seven rebounds and three assists. Martin had 12 points and six rebounds, while Baldwin added 10 points and five boards. As a team, Butler out-rebounded Villanova, 33-24, which is the team's largest rebound margin since the season-opener against Northern Colorado.
The Bulldogs went a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line and committed only eight turnovers in the game with four of those coming in the first five minutes of the game.
Butler shot 45 percent for the game, including 13-of-25 in the second half as the Bulldogs overcame a four-point halftime deficit.
The first half saw three large runs, two for Villanova and one for the home team, as Villanova took a 31-27 lead into the locker rooms. Butler had brief 34-33 and 36-35 leads early in the second half before a Savage lay-up with 4:35 to play gave Butler its first lead in more than 12 minutes, 50-49.
Jalen Brunson led Villanova with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Josh Hart added 13 points and eight rebounds, but converted only three of his 11 attempts. The Wildcats shot 37 percent for the game, but committed only six turnovers.
This is Butler's second win all-time when facing the No. 1 team in the country. The other win came against Indiana in the 2012 Crossroads Classic. Butler is now 2-5 in those match-ups, dating back to December of 1953 when Indiana visiting Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs are now 9-0 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season and Holtmann's career home record of 35-6 includes a current 12-game unbeaten streak.
Wednesday night was also Butler's first win against Villanova, as the Wildcats now own a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series that includes a 1996 match-up in Puerto Rico and seven games as BIG EAST foes.
Butler's next game is Saturday in the nation's capital against Georgetown. The Noon tip will air nationally on FOX.
