INDIANAPOLIS _ Villanova and Butler, two of the best defensive teams in the Big East, put on their scoring shoes Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse, trading offensive bursts for most of the game.
The No. 10 Wildcats battled the entire second half, twice recovering from 10-point deficits to tie the game, but the Bulldogs' Kamar Baldwin dealt the visitors the final blow, draining a three-point basket at the buzzer for a 79-76 victory over the Cats, who lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Villanova (17-5, 7-3 Big East) went without a field goal for 5 { minutes and fell behind 68-58 on Baldwin's three-point basket that capped a 12-2 run. Saddiq Bey broke the drought with a three-point basket and the Wildcats kept chipping away until Bey hit back-to-back threes, the second of which tied the game at 76 with 24.7 seconds to play.
The 19th-ranked Bulldogs (18-5, 6-4) went without a timeout and put the ball in the hands of Baldwin, their top scorer, who was guarded by Bey. Baldwin faked a drive and stepped back for a three-point shot that swished through with the clock showing 0.0, and an official review ruled the basket good.
