Butler Upsets Villanova Again, 74-66
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Kelan Martin scored 22 points and fueled a stunning second-half rally to lead No. 22 Butler past No. 2 Villanova 74-66 on Wednesday night, snapping the Wildcats' on-campus home winning streak at 48 games.
Kamar Baldwin added 15 points for the Bulldogs (22-6, 11-5 Big East), who have handed the defending national champion Wildcats two of their three losses this season.
Jalen Brunson scored 24 points and Josh Hart had 18 for Villanova (26-3, 13-3), which came into the game having already clinched at least a share of their fourth straight Big East regular-season championship.
The game marked the first time Hart and fellow seniors Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds lost a game at the Pavilion in their four-year careers.
With Villanova leading by seven with 10:30 remaining, Butler scored the game's next 18 points to take a 60-49 lead. Martin led the comeback effort with nine points during that stretch, including two 3-pointers.
Despite a frenetic 'Nova press, Butler held on with some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to snap Villanova's seven-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs also upset then-No. 1 Villanova in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 4. They gave the defending champs even more fits Wednesday at the Pavilion, the Wildcats' on-campus home where they hadn't lost since Feb. 3, 2013, against Providence.
Playing without starting center Reynolds (rib injury) for the fourth straight game and using a six-man rotation most of the way, the Wildcats missed their first six shots and committed four turnovers before the opening TV timeout.
Villanova didn't take its first lead until Brunson hit a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key with just under 1 minute left in the first half.
The Wildcats led by as many as eight early in the second half before the Bulldogs flipped the script and stunned a sold-out Pavilion crowd not accustomed to seeing any losses.
BIG PICTURE
Butler: After a recent rough patch that included three losses in four games, the Bulldogs have won three straight and are suddenly in good position to nab at least a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova: Despite the loss, the Wildcats need just one win in their final two regular-season games to capture their fourth straight outright Big East title - every year since the league was re-formed as a 10-team conference in 2013-14.
UP NEXT:
Butler: The Bulldogs stay on the road and play Xavier on Sunday before hosting Seton Hall in their regular-season finale.
Villanova: The Wildcats host No. 23 Creighton in the final game at the Pavilion before their on-campus home is renovated and reopens as the Finneran Pavilion in the fall of 2018.
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