INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A Kamar Baldwin step-back 3-pointer as time expired gave No. 19 Butler a 79-76 victory over No. 12 Villanova (17-5 overall, 7-3 BIG EAST) before 8,814 at Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday night.
 
The game-winner halted a spirited Villanova comeback fueled by junior Collin Gillespie and sophomore Saddiq Bey that helped the Wildcats overcome a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes.
 
The game was tied at 54 with 10 minutes remaining, before Butler (18-5 overall, 6-4 BIG EAST) scored on six consecutive offensive possessions as part of a 14-4 surge that helped it open a 68-58 margin. Then the fireworks began, with Villanova pulling even when Bey drained a 3-point on the Wildcats' final possession of regulation.
 
That set the stage for Baldwin, who was closely guarded by Gillespie and nonetheless drained the 24-footer.
 
"Baldwin's such a great driver to the goal and he passes the ball really well," noted Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. "You have to give up something and that's what we were trying to protect. He just made a great shot, a step back three.
 
"That was a great college basketball game in a great environment. We're disappointed to be on this end of it but we had trouble stopping them."
 
Indeed, Butler connected on .577 of its field goal attempts on the night and enjoyed a 42-28 edge on points scored in the paint.
 
"They were able to back us down and score too many times," noted Wright.
 
Gillespie was a catalyst for the Wildcats' attack, scoring 28 points. Bey – named earlier in the day as one of 10 finalists for the Julius Erving Award – led all scorers with 29 points, including 5-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
Villanova constructed an early 9-7 lead with Gillespie and Bey leading the way. Yet Justin Moore – returned to the starting lineup in this one – was whistled for his second personal foul at the 15:04 mark of the period. Bey and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl also picked up early personal fouls.
 
Butler was in the midst of a 6-0 run when the officials halted play with 13:02 remaining in the first period to address a leak in the Hinkle Fieldhouse roof. Water was falling on the sideline opposite the Nova bench. With heavy rain in the area, there was a delay of 19 minutes as Butler officials and the referees conferred on a course of action.
 
When play resumed Aaron Thompson scored on a drive to extend the run to 8-0 and the Bulldogs' margin to 15-9. A Gillespie bucket ended the Butler run with just more than 12 minutes to play. The margin grew to 18-11 in favor of the Bulldogs with nine minutes to play in the period.
 
Gillespie and Bey provided much of the firepower to fuel a 'Cats comeback. Nova went on a 16-4 burst to re-take the lead at 27-22 with 6:06 to play before halftime. Junior Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree provided a key boost off the bench, supplying three points, two rebounds and strong interior defense for the 'Cats.
 
Butler came right back, however, reeling off 11 straight points capped by a Baldwin 3-pointer to move back in front, 33-27 at the 3:33 mark of the first half. At that point, Butler was 13-of-22 from the field (.591) while the Wildcats were 11-of-25 (.440).
 
At the half, Butler held a 42-38 lead. Gillespie (16) and Bey (13) combined for 29 of those points while Sean McDermott led the Bulldogs with 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field. Butler connected on 16-of-28 from the floor in the period (.571) while Nova was just slightly off that pace, converting 16-of-32 (.500).
 
Bey, Robinson-Earl and Moore all ended the half with two fouls each. Aaron Thompson was the only Bulldog with multiple personals (two).
 
The Bulldogs scored the first six points of the second half to expand their margin to 48-38 two minutes into the period. Yet Villanova fought back, with Gillespie and Bey again doing much of the damage. After a Gillespie drive for two, the 'Cats were back to within 54-52 as the clock dipped below the 12-minute mark. When Jermaine Samuels drove the baseline for a dunk the contest was tied at 54 with 10 minutes to go in regulation.
 
Butler executed a couple of crisp backdoor cuts that helped it convert five straight field goals as part of an 11-3 surge that pushed their lead to 65-57 at the 6:09 mark of the second half.
 
Then came the surge that gave Butler a 68-58 lead that the Wildcats were able to erase when Bey drained a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left.
 
Villanova is back in action Saturday when it hosts No. 12 Seton Hall at 2:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center (Fox and 610 ESPN Radio).
 
The 2019-20 season – Villanova's 100^th college basketball campaign – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.