Wildcat Wrap
 
Final Score: Wildcats 72 Butler 62
 
Overview: After a high-scoring first half helped it establish a 44-35 lead, Villanova leaned on its defense over the final 20 minutes to secure a win over Butler and a split of the season series (the Bulldogs won in double overtime 88-81 on Jan. 27).
 
Eric Dixon's work on the interior was essential. The redshirt senior finished with 22 points and six rebounds while Justin Moore and Brendan Hausen each added 13 points.
 
"I'm proud of our guys," stated Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. "I thought we withstood a pretty good run from them in the beginning. They were drilling some shots, some tough ones. Throughout the game they made some tough shots that were contested. They forced some turnovers and got some stops.
 
"Our guys were resilient. We were finally able to get a bit of breathing room."
 
Points Flowed Early: TJ Bamba and Moore sank 3-pointers to get Villanova's offense into gear early, but the potent Bulldogs answered with a Posh Alexander triple and a trio of 2-pointers to grab a 9-8 lead over the first 4:04 at Finneran Pavilion.
 
The teams continued to exchange the lead into the middle part of the period. Posh Alexander sank a pair of 3-pointers for the Bulldogs while Nova spread the wealth, using a Hausen shot from distance to reclaim the lead 20-18 at the 11:21 mark of the period. At that point the teams were a combined 15-of-26 from the field.
 
Alexander sank two more triples, but the Wildcats matched them, with Eric Dixon and Tyler Burton adding one apiece. Through 13:24 of the first half, each team had six made 3's, with Alexander owning four of Butler's. Moore's third 3-pointer of the period helped Villanova build a 33-29 edge with exactly four minutes left in the first period.
 
The 'Cats closed the half with a flourish, dropping in 5-of-6 from the field. When Moore sank a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left in the period, Villanova had itself a 44-35 lead at the break.
 
"They were making some tough shots," noted Neptune. "I thought we just kept grinding. They can do that. They're a good team and capable of scoring in bunches. They've got guys who are capable of scoring against good defense. We withstood that punch."
 
Moore More: With former teammate Saddiq Bey – now of the Atlanta Hawks on hand – Moore enjoyed his best offensive period since suffering a right knee sprain on Dec. 5 at Kansas State. In 16 first half minutes he was 3-of-4 from the field and had 11 points. Dixon – another former teammate of Bey's – added seven points as did Burton.
 
Bey was among a number of notable alumni in the Finn. Brandon Slater, now in the G League with Maine, and Ryan Arcidiacono were also in front-row seats Tuesday night.
 
Second Act: The early minutes of the second half looked much different than the first. Both defenses got stops and the only field goal over the first 4:13 of the half was a Bulldogs' 3-pointer, their eighth of the night. Villanova held a 46-40 lead at that juncture of the contest. Burton sank the 'Cats first field goal of the second half on a post-up move to push the edge to 48-40.
 
When Pierre Brooks sank a 3-pointer for Butler, the Wildcats lead was 48-46. When Brooks later scored on a drive to the goal, the Bulldogs had shaved their deficit to 55-52. But Nova scored the next four with two from Dixon and a basket by Moore to make it 59-52 with 7:40 on the second half clock.
 
"We didn't do anything different (defensively)," said Neptune. "We stuck to the gameplan. Luckily, they missed a couple down the stretch."
 
Villanova then kept the Bulldogs at arm's length the rest of the way, earning its fourth victory in its last five outings.
 
Board Scores: Butler has historically hurt the 'Cats on the backboards but that wasn't the case Tuesday night. The Wildcats owned a 37-20 edge on the glass, with five different players collecting four or more caroms.
 
"It's been something we've been focusing on," stated Neptune. "Last time we played them, they really got us on the glass in some key possessions down the stretch. To our guys' credit, they did a good job of being nasty and going after the ball."
 
Villanova also protected the basketball, committing just eight turnovers on the night.
 
What They Said: Neptune on Moore's effort: "I know most people look at makes and misses. If you really go back and look at the film, you'll see he's been unbelievable defensively. He does a great job getting guys shots and sharing the ball. Those are things you can control. His controllables have been great, as has his leadership. Not to mention, he's always drawing the opponent's best (defender)."
 
Hausen on his fifth straight double figure scoring effort: "I don't think anything has really changed. We've just done a really good job of executing. Credit to Coach for finding spots for me to get shots on the floor and credit to my teammates for setting screens and finding me. I just have got to knock shots down. When I'm focused, they can go in."