Villanova celebrates a night of firsts in comeback victory at Butler
The Wildcats captured their first win at Hinkle Fieldhouse since 2022 and their first under coach Kyle Neptune. Next up, DePaul at the Finneran Pavilion on Saturday.
Villanova’s lethargic start to the new year turned into a 73-65 comeback win over Butler on Wednesday night.
After a 10-day break, the Wildcats (9-5, 2-1 Big East) managed to shake off the holiday haze and secure a road win. It was Villanova’s first victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse since March 5, 2022 — and the first under men’s basketball coach Kyle Neptune.
“A lot of credit goes to [Butler]. They came out with a great game plan and really made it tough for us to score,” Neptune said. “It’s got to be one game at a time, but this is a great win for our program.”
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Neither team had played since Dec. 21, when Villanova lost, 86-79, to Creighton and Butler fell, 78-74, to Connecticut.
Both needed to shake off some rust. Villanova shot 42.4% from the field, while Butler (7-7, 0-3) managed 42.3%. The Wildcats also were inconsistent from long range, shooting just 9-of-26 (34.6%), but they overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half.
Forward Eric Dixon (26 ppg) maintained his status as the NCAA’s leading scorer. He scored 28 points on 50% shooting. Guard Wooga Poplar added 18 points and 15 rebounds.
The Wildcats, tied for fourth in the Big East, return home for their next two games. DePaul (9-5, 0-3) visits Finneran Pavilion on Saturday (noon, FS1). The Blue Demons are coming off an 81-68 loss to UConn. Next, Villanova will host the No. 11 Huskies (11-3, 3-0) on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., FS1).
A late-game turnaround
The Wildcats found the energy they needed with little time left on the clock. It came suddenly, in the form of a 22-1 run over the last 4 minutes, 59 seconds.
Guard Kris Parker, a redshirt freshman, hit a layup and two free throws to cut the deficit to five with 3:24 left. Villanova regained the lead, 65-64, on a Dixon three with 1:35 left. Senior guard Jordan Longino scored nine of his 12 points during the run, including four free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Signs of progress on defense
One of Villanova’s primary goals entering its third Big East matchup was stepping up on defense. The Wildcats struggled to keep Butler away from the basket during a tight first half, with the Bulldogs paced by Jahmyl Telfort, who finished with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Butler steadily built its lead for most of the second half. A layup by Patrick McCaffery increased the advantage to 13 points with 6:03 left.
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“It was an adjustment for us, but down the stretch, we started to get some stops,” Neptune said. “It definitely felt like we locked up defensively in the last couple of minutes. We got something like nine straight stops, and that’s big-time for us.”
The Wildcats also dominated the boards and outrebounded Butler, 43-30, led by Poplar and forward Enoch Boakye, who had 14 rebounds.
“We didn’t start where we wanted to start, but we kept our heads up and kept battling, and we’re going to continue to do that,” Neptune said.