Field Level Media
Feb 5, 2020
Kamar Baldwin hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift 19th-ranked Butler past No. 10 Villanova, 79-76, on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
Sean McDermott scored 21 points, Bryce Golden added a career-high 18, Baldwin chipped in 17 and Bryce Nze had 12 for the Bulldogs, who improved to 18-5 overall and 6-4 in the Big East.
McDermott made two free throws to put Butler ahead 76-73 with 32.5 seconds left.
Saddiq Bey then tied the game at 76 for Villanova with a 3-pointer with 24.7 seconds remaining.
Bey led Villanova with 29 points while Collin Gillespie added 28. The Wildcats (17-5, 7-3) lost their second in a row.
The game was halted for 13 minutes because of rain leaking through the roof. Butler held a 13-9 advantage when the game was delayed with 13:02 remaining.
Nze drove to the basket and scored to give the Bulldogs a 22-19 lead with 8:54 left.
Bey responded with a pair of jumpers while Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree made 1 of 2 free throws and Gillespie added a 3-pointer to key an 8-0 run and Villanova moved ahead 27-22.
The Bulldogs scored the next 11 points, capped by Baldwin's trey, to take a 33-27 lead with 3:33 to go.
Gillespie's 16 first-half points kept the Wildcats close as they trailed 42-38 heading into the locker room.
Golden scored two quick baskets and McDermott added one to open the second half as Butler pulled out to a 10-point lead.
Villanova stayed aggressive and closed within 50-47 when Bey made a difficult layup through a pair of Butler defenders.
When Villanova's Jermaine Samuels threw down a two-handed dunk with 10:01 left, the game was tied at 54.
The Bulldogs then took control and regained the lead, 65-57, with 6:26 remaining.
Villanova cut the lead to 68-63 when Bey dropped in a trey with 4:25 left.
Baldwin made two free throws for a 72-66 Butler lead, and Villanova's Justin Moore came back with a 3-pointer from the corner to close within three.
Nze converted a layup and Bey came back with a trey to cut the advantage to 74-73 with 57.5 seconds left.
--Field Level Media