Villanova vs. Butler: Score and Reaction from 2017 Regular Season

Down goes No. 1.

The No. 18 Butler Bulldogs outlasted the No. 1 Villanova Wildcats during Wednesday's Big East showdown at Hinkle Fieldhouse, winning 66-58. Butler used a strong finish to turn a 50-47 deficit with under five minutes remaining into an eight-point victory in handing the defending national champions their first loss of the season.

Butler moved to 13-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big East, while Villanova fell to 14-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

ESPN Stats & Info put the win into historical perspective:

Defense proved to be the difference, as the Bulldogs held the Wildcats to a mere 37.3 percent shooting from the field and 23.1 percent from three-point range. Villanova's 14 made free throws helped keep it in the game, but Butler made the necessary stops down the stretch to emerge victorious.

Butler converted all 15 free-throw attempts, many of which came in the closing couple of minutes. The clutch shooting from the charity stripe made up for the team's 5-of-20 shooting from three-point range.

Kethan Savage and Andrew Chrabascz each scored 13 points, while Kelan Martin chipped in 12 points and six rebounds.

On the other side, Jalen Brunson led the way for the Wildcats with 23 points, and Josh Hart just missed a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds. Hart's final stat line was solid, but he shot 3-of-11 from the field and couldn't establish much rhythm against Butler's defense. Kris Jenkins added 11 points.

Despite the loss, the Wildcats defense set the tone early.

Butler tied the game at seven with a Martin three in the opening minutes, but Villanova mixed in some 2-3 zone and stifled the home team for an extended period. It went on an 8-0 run capped by a Darryl Reynolds dunk that only ended when Savage went to the free-throw line.

The Wildcats held Butler without a made field goal for almost six minutes in the first half, but a Savage jumper and an Avery Woodson three on two straight possessions cut it to 15-14.

The Bulldogs took the lead when Savage hit two free throws after Villanova head coach Jay Wright received a technical foul for arguing with the officials. Dana O'Neil of ESPN.com commented, "I've known and covered Jay Wright for 16 years. Not sure I've seen him need to be restrained by his assistants before. Seen him angry and earning a technical but not that."

Butler's run turned a 15-7 deficit into a 16-15 advantage and was one of numerous lead changes in the first half. Jenkins' layup finished a 7-0 Villanova spurt and made it 22-16 in its favor before Martin tied things at 23 with a three.

Villanova responded with a 6-0 burst, but Kamar Baldwin scored before the buzzer to trim the Wildcats' halftime lead to 31-27.

The back-and-forth continued in the early portion of the second half, and a Tyler Wideman dunk in transition gave the home team the 34-33 lead.

FS1 shared the crowd-pleasing play:

Jenkins and Brunson then drilled threes on two straight Villanova possessions to give the visitors a 41-38 lead. ESPN Insider John Gasaway tweeted Brunson was compensating for Hart, who missed eight of his first nine shot attempts: "Butler either forcing Josh Hart into or catching him on by far his worst shooting night of the year. Brunson working to pick up the slack."

Brunson continued to carry the load with an impressive up-and-under move to give Villanova a 46-42 edge, but Butler would not go away. Woodson responded with a three from the top of the key before Chrabascz tied things in the lane, although Savage had gone to the bench with four fouls.

FS1 captured some of the frantic pace in the second half:

The pattern of Villanova establishing brief momentum before Butler fought back continued when Hart converted an and-1, but Savage and Woodson responded with two straight baskets to give the Bulldogs the 51-50 lead.

Hart and Savage traded baskets again to make it 53-52 with less than three minutes remaining, and David Woods of the Indianapolis Star noted the two sides hadn't been separated by more than four points in the entire second half to that point.

That's when Butler had the most important spurt of the game. Martin scored before Savage stole a Jenkins pass and converted an and-1 in transition to give the Bulldogs a 58-52 advantage.

Butler's 7-0 run ended when Savage fouled out and sent Brunson to the charity stripe, but Baldwin's steal and beautiful reverse layup gave the Bulldogs breathing room again at 60-54 with less than a minute left, as FS1 passed along:

Villanova continued to pressure to the finish, but Butler calmly hit all of its free throws with the game on the line.

Donte DiVincenzo's wide-open three in the final seconds rimmed out, and Nate Fowler's two free throws iced it shortly before Bulldogs fans streamed onto the court in celebration.

Postgame Reaction

Fox Sports showed the fans storming the court after the game:

Butler head coach Chris Holtmann commented on his team's strategy, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "We felt if we could make it ugly on the defensive end, we'd give ourselves a chance. We did."

Savage reflected on the showing, per the AP: "I came to Butler to be in games like this. To come out here and be able to play and have moments like that is really special, something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

Hart talked about the game on the other side, per the AP: "It stings right now. But we're not going to be discouraged by it."

Wright praised Butler's effort on the defensive end, per the AP: "They played really good team defense. I was impressed."

What's Next?

Villanova gets some respite at home after its daunting two-game road trip against Butler and No. 10 Creighton but faces Marquette and No. 16 Xavier in upcoming contests. Playing Creighton, Butler and Xavier over the course of four games is about as difficult as it gets in the Big East, but the Wildcats will still have chances to establish themselves as Big East favorites despite Wednesday's loss.

Butler now faces a formidable three-game stretch at Georgetown, at Creighton and home against Xavier. If it wants to prove itself as a worthy Big East challenger after Wednesday's upset, it can't let its guard down against difficult competition.