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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler fell to the Villanova Wildcats 67-57 on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. With the loss Butler slides to 9-14 on the season and 3-10 in BIG EAST action while Villanova improves to 18-5 overall and 11-3 in conference action.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
McKenna Johnson led a trio of Bulldogs in double figures with a career-high 16 points in the contest on an efficient 6-for-11 (46.9%). Mallory Miller (10) and Lily Zeinstra (11) rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures.
Caroline Dotsey and Saniya Jackson led the squad on the glass, pulling down six rebounds apiece.
Saniya Jackson paced the offense with four assists.
The Dawgs shot 23-for-49 (46.9%) from the floor and shot 4-for-15 (26.7%) from beyond the arc.
VILLANOVA HIGHLIGHTS
Jasmine Bascoe led a trio of Wildcats in double figures with 27 points on 10-for-26 shooting performance from the floor. Brynn McCurry (12) and Kennedy Henry (12) rounded out the Wildcats in double figures.
Henry led Villanova on the glass, pulling down five rebounds in the contest.
Bascoe paced the Wildcat offense, dishing out five helpers.
Villanova shot 27-for-64 (42.2%) from the floor and shot 6-for-20 (30%) from beyond the arc.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides traded buckets to open the game as the score was even at 10-10 half way through the first quarter. After continuing to trade buckets, Butler took the 19-16 lead into the second quarter after holding Villanova scoreless over the final 2:10 of the quarter.
Neither side was able to generate much offense to start the second, as both sides combined for three scores in the first six and a half minutes of the quarter. Butler was able to keep the Villanova offense in check for the remainder of the frame as BU took the 28-24 lead into the half.
Johnson started the third quarter hot for Butler, sinking back-to-back buckets for the Dawgs. Both sides continued to go back and forth as Villanova held the slight 39-37 edge at the under-five media timeout. With the help of four Butler turnovers in the final 3:28 of the quarter, Villanova was able to capitalize stringing together a few stops and scores before as the Wildcats took the 48-41 advantage into the final quarter.
Villanova started the fourth on a 7-0 run forcing the Dawgs to take a timeout with 7:37 left in the frame. Butler responded by hitting four of its next five shots, forcing Villanova to take a timeout with just over four minutes remaining. Butler was unable to complete the comeback over the final minutes, dropping the contest 67-57 at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 7 as BU travels to Hartford, Conn. to take on the No. 1 ranked UConn Huskies. The game will be broadcast on FS1 with tip-off scheduled for noon.
