#9 Villanova Tops #13 Butler in 2020 Big East Showdown

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(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

In a big-time Big East showdown, #9 Villanova beat #13 Butler 76-61 in a tough defensive battle. The Wildcats saw five players score in double figures, with junior Jermaine Samuels leading the way with 20 points. For the Bulldogs, senior Kamar Baldwin scored 21, with junior Bryce Nze scoring 11. Villanova saw a freshmen star Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have a big game, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. This was one of the biggest Big East games to date and a brutal defensive battle between two of the best defensive teams in the country.

First Half

The first half was a purely defensive battle. Villanova struggled immensely to score early and Butler got out to a quick lead. But, the Wildcats were able to hit a pair of triples to tie up the game. The first half was the Jeremiah Robinson Earl show for the wildcats, as he scored 10 and grabbed 8 boards. Jermaine Samuels hit 5 of 6 from the free-throw line and had 10 points as well. Collin Gillespie struggled immensely, going 1 of 10 from the field and 1 of 7 from three. The Wildcats shot a dreadful 35% from the field in the first half, but hit 6 of 17 from three and hitting 6 of 7 at the charity stripe, with gave them a 10 point lead heading into the half. Villanova’s defense was strong, holding Butler to 38% shooting from the field.

For Butler, they got out to a quick start, but Nova was able to hit threes and get to the free-throw line more often and despite a strong showing on the defensive end, Butler’s offense was floundering. Sean McDermott could not buy a bucket and Kamar Baldwin shot a poor 2 of 9 for the half. Their saving grace was strong post play by Bryce Golden and Bryce Nze, who scored 12 of Butler’s 26 first-half points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field.

Second Half

The key factor for Villanova in the second half was free throws. After only shooting 7 attempts at the line in the first half, they shot 15 of 16 at the line in the second half. Another key factor was Collin Gillespie hitting 3 of his 5 shots from the field. The Wildcats were able to draw fouls early and entered the bonus with several minutes left in the game. This, paired with their continued strong work on the defensive end, lead them to victory.

Butler did not go away without a fight. The Bulldogs was able to cut the lead to four with plenty of time left on the clock but then went scoreless for nearly five minutes, in which Nova extended their lead and the Bulldogs could not recover from. Kamar Baldwin played much better in the second half, but the Bulldogs simply could not get close the deal and pull ahead. Lack of guys making shots outside of Baldwin and Nova getting into the bonus with several minutes left in the spelled doom for the Bulldogs.

What’s Next

With this win, the Villanova Wildcats move to 15-3 on the season and 6-1 in Big East play. For the Bulldogs this is their 3rd straight loss, leaving them with an overall record of 15-4 and 3-3 in the Big East. Up next the Villanova will travel to Providence to face the Friars on Saturday at 2. As for Butler, they will return home for a key matchup against the Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday at 9 pm.

Villanova and Butler Highlights

 

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