Wildcats Ignite Epic Comeback to Clinch 73-65 Victory Over Butler

Final Score: Villanova 73, Butler 65
 
Summary
 
Villanova launched a 22-1 surge over the concluding 6:03 to overcome Butler on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Wildcats had been behind by as much as 14 points during the second half.
 
Eric Dixon scored 28 points for the ‘Cats while Wooga Poplar contributed 18 points and 15 rebounds. The 15 rebounds by Poplar were the highest by a Wildcat since Jeremiah Robinson Earl, who collected 16 in a victory at Butler in 2021. Substitute Kris Parker significantly impacted the match with his defensive effort in the latter half. Enoch Boakye added 14 rebounds.
 
Initial Surge
 
The statistics indicated that these are two of the BIG EAST’s more formidable offenses, which was evident in the early exchanges. Shots from beyond the arc by Jhamir Brickus and Dixon propelled Villanova to a swift 8-3 advantage, but Butler countered with an 8-0 surge to take an 11-8 lead within the first five minutes of the quarter.
 
Four points from Poplar allowed Villanova to take a 12-11 lead, but this advantage was short-lived. Butler restricted Nova to 1-of-10 shooting during a 2:11 span, closely monitoring Dixon at all times. This allowed Butler to pull ahead 17-12, before Dixon hit a 3-pointer followed by another to lift the ‘Cats to an 18-17 lead.
 
Defense Takes Control
 
Midway through the first half, scoring became significantly more challenging for both teams. Villanova’s offense suffered a setback when playmaker Brickus exited the game with 5:35 remaining in the period due to his second foul. Nevertheless, Nova held firm and regained the lead on a Tyler Perkins floater at 24-23.
 
However, a 3-pointer from Finley Bizjack allowed Butler to retake the lead, 26-24 at the last media timeout of the period. Jahmyl Telfort scored to extend the lead to 28-24 as the clock dipped below three minutes.
 
A run of five consecutive made field goals returned the lead to Villanova at 30-28, before another 3-pointer from Bizjack put the Bulldogs ahead 31-30 at halftime.
 
Dixon (11 points) and Poplar (10 points) combined for 21 of Villanova’s 30 points in a half where the Wildcats shot 12-of-31 from the field (.387). Butler attempted 11 first-half free throws, compared to just two for Villanova.
 
Second Half
 
Both teams exchanged blows early in the second half. Butler scored two triples, but Villanova responded with 3-pointers from Poplar and Dixon. Villanova led 41-39 with 15:23 remaining in the second half.
 
However, Brickus picked up his third foul in an attempt to steal near midcourt.
 
Midway through the period, Telfort showcased an impressive stretch, scoring seven consecutive points to increase a one-point Bulldogs lead to 52-44 with 11:25 left in the second half. By the time Villanova called a timeout, the lead had widened to 58-48 with 8:53 left in the second half.
 
Meanwhile, the Wildcats had difficulty regaining their offensive rhythm. Another basket from Butler extended the lead to 60-48. A triple from Poplar halted that scoring drought, but another Telfort basket pushed his total to 25 points with 7:05 remaining.
 
Then the momentum shifted.
 
A 6-0 run – ignited by a sequence of defensive stops and points from Dixon and Poplar – cut the deficit to 64-57 with 3:50 to go in the second half. Another stop and two Kris Parker free throws narrowed the gap to 64-59. Jordan Longino drilled a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound from Poplar to close to 64-62.
 
The clock dipped below two minutes. Dixon then nailed a step-back triple to reclaim the lead at 65-64. A steal followed by a Longino layup made it 67-64 with 1:03 left in the second half.
 
The game concluded with a 20-1 run by the Wildcats.
 
Coaching Remarks
 
Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune: “Butler entered with a solid game plan and made scoring extremely challenging for us. Luckily, our guys managed to string together some stops in the last few minutes, and that proved to be decisive.”
 
Neptune: “I believe we managed something like nine consecutive stops. This is the Big East. We anticipated it would be a tough battle on the road. I am extremely proud of our players.
 
“This is a significant victory for our program. We possess many experienced players, but we also have some newcomers who are learning to excel in crucial moments. I take great pride in these players. This is a good win, but it’s time to move forward and prepare for DePaul.”
 
Next Up
 
The Wildcats have a quick turnaround, as they were slated to return to Philadelphia following the game. They will host DePaul on Saturday at noon at Finneran Pavilion (FS1 and Villanova Sports Network on IHeart.)