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

The No. 2 Villanova Wildcats (26-3, 13-3) will be among the favorites to take home a national championship at next month's NCAA tournament, but they better hope the 22nd-ranked Butler Bulldogs (22-6, 11-5) reside in a different region when the bracket is finalized.  

With a chance on Wednesday night to wash away memories of a Jan. 4 road loss to the Bulldogs, the Wildcats crumbled down the stretch and fell 74-66 at the Pavilion in front of their home crowd. 

NCAA March Madness on Twitter provided a stat that exemplified just how impressive Butler's win on the Main Line was: 

After the win, ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman noted that Butler's resume ranks among the nation's most impressive: 

Although the Wildcats had their moments, 15 turnovers, a lackluster 25.0 percent shooting from three and 62.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line prevented them from pulling away after they established a seven-point edge with 12 minutes remaining. 

From that point forward, the Bulldogs imposed their will and put the finishing touches on a season sweep of the Wildcats as they scorched Villanova's stingy defense to the tune of 46 second-half points. 

Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin were the driving forces behind the comeback triumph, and they finished the night with 22 and 15 points, respectively.

However, the Bulldogs weren't always in control.  

Despite a sluggish start, the Wildcats clawed back throughout the opening frame thanks to Jalen Brunson's (24 points) stellar scoring touch, which was on display early and often, as FS1 documented on Twitter: 

Brunson entered halftime with 14 points—nearly 50 percent of Villanova's total—and the Wildcats trotted into the locker room with a one-point lead after the sophomore converted a sweet blow-by with the clock winding down, via FS1 on Twitter: 

"

The perfect ending to the half. Too easy.

Jalen Brunson beats the buzzer for No.2 @NovaMBB. #BIGEAST https://t.co/S6CbO3tIkx

— FS1 (@FS1) February 23, 2017"

Once the second half got underway, Villanova appeared to find a more stable stride. 

Not only did the offense establish improved rhythm, but its defense caused Butler's attack to stall in the half court on several occasions. 

College hoops analyst Doug Gottlieb praised the Wildcats defense for being equal parts tenacious and disciplined: 

Villanova's stifling defense was on display in the early stages of the second half, when it suffocated the Bulldogs and forced a turnover that allowed Mikal Bridges to hit Josh Hart (18 points) in stride for a dunk, as FS1 showed on Twitter: 

But to the Bulldogs' credit, they were able to hang tough in one of the Big East's most hostile environments and counterpunch brilliantly.

A barrage of threes allowed Butler to tie things at 49 with under eight minutes remaining, and the Bulldogs took the lead shortly thereafter thanks to a fearless approach from beyond the arc. 

Butler's official Twitter account relayed video of the team's scorching second-half stylings from deep in the midst of a tide-turning 18-0 run: 

"

Not one, not two, but three. Things are heating up here in Philly... pic.twitter.com/CMVxGFwpwa

— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) February 23, 2017"

Butler's lead continued to balloon down the stretch, and the Wildcats simply weren't sharp enough on either end to swing momentum back in their favor one last time. 

Villanova would have had a chance to rattle off an eighth straight win with a more complete effort on Wednesday, but it will now be forced to regroup in advance of the Big East tournament. 

Next up for the Wildcats is a showdown with the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday at the Pavilion. 

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, will prep for a clash with the Xavier Musketeers on Sunday before they wrap their regular-season slate up with a game against Seton Hall on March 4. 

Postgame Reaction

After the win, Butler's Twitter account relayed video of the team's locker room celebration: 

"This is a tremendous win for our group," Butler head coach Chris Holtmann said, per ButlerSports.com's John Dedman. "I have so much respect for Nova and for Jay. To come on the road and beat a team of this caliber says a lot about our guys. We played with great composure and made plays down the stretch. Hopefully we're continuing to make strides and moving forward."

On the flip side, Wildcats head coach Jay Wright lamented his team's sloppy play as the reason for its downfall. 

"They played better than us in all phases," Wright said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Joe Juliano. "We turned the ball over 15 turnovers and a lot of it was their physicality defensively. They did a great job. We've got to give them credit. Sometimes you come into a game and the other team plays better."

As for ways the Wildcats can improve, Hart stressed tightening up on defense moving forward. 

"We've had good days in practice the last several days, but on the defensive end we got exposed in practice," he said, per Juliano. "That's something we've got to have, better attention to detail. It starts with the seniors and trickles down."