Thirty-four points from the nation's leading scorer Eric Dixon led Villanova to an 80-70 win over Butler Saturday afternoon at Finneran Pavilion in Philadelphia.
 
Dixon made 14 of his 21 attempts from the field.
 
With the win, Villanova improves to 18-12 overall and 11-8 in BIG EAST play. Butler falls to 13-16 (6-12).
 
KEY STRETCH:

• A 15-3 Villanova run turned a one-point advantage into a 68-55 lead with 7:50 remaining. The Bulldogs made only one of nine attempts from the field during that stretch.

 
OF NOTE:

• Villanova's largest lead came at 43-28 with 2:10 remaining in the first half. Butler closed the first half on a 7-0 run and opened the second half by scoring 10 of the first 12 points to turn a 43-35 halftime deficit into a 45-45 tie.
• Dixon did not score any of Villanova's first 19 points of the game, but scored 16 of the team's final 24 points of the first half.
• Jahmyl Telfort and Finley Bizjack led the Bulldogs with 16 points apiece.
• Butler committed only five turnovers -- just one more than the team's season-low -- but only forced six turnovers by the Wildcats.
• Villanova shot 51 percent from the field, including a 12-for-28 performance from three-point range. The Wildcats entered the game third in the nation in three-point shooting at 40.2 percent.
• Butler shot 40 percent from the field, but did go 10-for-28 from behind the arc.
• Villanova held a slim 36-33 rebounding advantage. Wooga Poplar led the Wildcats with nine rebounds.
• Pierre Brooks II scored 14 points for Butler. Patrick McCaffery hit a trio of three-pointers for his nine points.
• All but two of Villanova's 80 points came from their starting line-up.

 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs celebrate Senior Night Wednesday as Xavier visits Hinkle Fieldhouse for the final home game of the season. Tickets still remain for the 7 p.m. tip, which will also air on CBS Sports Network. Fans can also listen to Butler Basketball Live as Mark Minner and Nick Gardner bring fans the action.