Written by Kyle Boone at CBSSports.com
Against a group of Villanova seniors who had never lost on their home floor, Butler cemented its status as the Wildcats slayer by winning 74-66 and finishing the season sweep of the reigning national champions.
Butler’s comeback victory snapped the No. 2 Wildcats’ 48-game winning streak at The Pavilion.
“We played one of the toughest teams in the country in Villanova tonight,” Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. “If you’re not tough against Villanova, it’s going to be a tough night.”
It was a tough night regardless, but the No. 22 Bulldogs pulled it out behind a staunch defensive effort and timely shooting down the stretch.
The Bulldogs found themselves in a familiar position, entering the game as a 10-point underdog. Whether it’s Brad Stevens or Chris Holtmann at the helm, Butler is somehow always underrated — and almost always overachieves.
Maybe Butler likes playing as an underdog. Or maybe Holtmann’s team responds best to the intense pressure of playing top teams.
Whatever the case, it’s time the Bulldogs received their due.
Butler had its back to the wall, trailing by seven with 10 minutes to play. But the Bulldogs mounted a 15-0 run stitched together by hard-nosed defense and forcing the veteran Wildcats into making rookie mistakes with untimely turnovers and ill-advised shots.
“It didn’t look real good when we fell behind [in the second half],” Holtmann said, “but our guys showed some grit tonight.”
Butler outscored Villanova 32-17 over the final 10 minutes.
Grit is an understatement.
Two of Villanova’s three losses have come to Butler. And while the Bulldogs likely won’t get a huge boost for beating a conference foe (with the Big East standings all but set), it made them only the third team to earn six victories against ranked opponents.
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