City of Basketball Love

Andrew O’Connor (@AndrewOConnor23)
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At First…
Despite playing some suffocating defense, Villanova couldn’t turn that into much offensive production as the Wildcats managed only 14 points and a three-point lead in the game’s opening 11 minutes. A 14-2 run beginning at 6:53 gave the Wildcats a 11-point lead with two minutes to go in the first half. Villanova would get the lead up to 12 with a field goal with eight seconds left, but Martin would respond quickly with a buzzer-beating three to bring Butler within nine entering the half.

Turning Point…
Villanova’s offense got off to a slow start in the second half shooting 3-12 in the first nine minutes, but a foul on a three-point shot by Kris Jenkins got the offense rolling. The Wildcats followed it up with a layup with the foul from Josh Hart to score six quick points. Jenkins and Hart would then combine to score nine more points over the next two minutes to give Villanova a 59-51. The Wildcats wouldn’t stop there as this offense would kick off a 22-9 (9-12 FG) run that gave them a lead as high as 11 points.

Standout Stars…
Hart and Jenkins were outstanding on Senior Day, as the juniors combined for 40 points on 13-27 shooting. Hart also had 12 rebounds to give him his eighth double-double of the season, while Jenkins grabbed six boards of his own.

Butler was led by sophomore Kelan Martin, who scored 19 points (6-18 FG, 4-6 FT) and chipped in with three assists and two rebounds over 36 minutes of play, and Roosevelt Jones, who scored 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-7 FT) and grabbed 5 rebounds with two assists and a block and a steal..

Noteworthy Number(s)...
7: Villanova has never lost to Butler, going 7-0 against the Bulldogs in the program’s all-time series. Since Butler joined the Big East three years ago, Villanova is 6-0 against the former mid-major powerhouse, though half of those games have been played within five points.

90.5: Villanova was 19-21 from the line, which contributed greatly to the Wildcats’ success. Nearly one-fourth of their points against Butler came from the charity stripe, with five different players chipping in on between two and five foul shots each.

Up Next…
No. 1 Villanova (24-3, 13-1 Big East) @ No. 8 Xavier (Feb. 24, 7 PM)
Butler (18-9, 7-8) @ Georgetown (Feb. 27, Noon)