Villanova basketball played to the final buzzer, ending the game on a 22-1 run to beat Butler.
Takeaway #1: Defense wins game
Villanova is now 8-0 when it holds opponents to under 70 points this season. This was the best defense Villanova has displayed all season.
Entering the game, Villanova had its worst defense efficiency rating (189th) in the KenPom era. It has cost the Wildcats games this season.
The game started like a team that is bad on the defensive end. Within the game’s last six minutes, however, Villanova had a huge surge to close out with a win.
The Wildcats had a season-high 43 total rebounds against Butler. The team’s previous high in total rebounds this season was 39 in their 93-49 win over Penn on Nov. 19.
Villanova applied pressure in the paint, grabbing rebounds and forcing bad shot attempts. Butler had no response to the shift in intensity and could not score a basket in the last 6:03 of the game, scoring just one point off a free throw.
The team had 11 offensive rebounds in the Big East over two games. Against Butler, Villanova collected 11 offensive rebounds.Senior forward Enoch Boakye transferred to Villanova with the priority of rebounding; everything else came second. He has a season-high 14 rebounds, which is tied for the second-best game of his collegiate career.
Boakye is the size and physicality Villanova needs to win games in the Big East. His contributions against Butler need to be consistent through the rest of conference play if the team wants to fix their defensive struggles.
Takeaway #2: 22-1 Run to to close out the game
In the first half, there were 11 lead changes. Both teams traded back and forth from the three-point line and in the paint.
Besides graduate forward Eric Dixon, Villanova could not find a scoring rhythm at all in the first half. In the second half, the offense was starting to pull together, but it was not enough. Butler went on a 21-8 run with 6:03 left in the game.
The Bulldogs led the Wildcats, 64-51. The game looked like it was over for Villanova. Butler, however, never scored another basket.
Dixon sank a jumper that kicked off a 22-1 game-winning run. Five Wildcats scored during the run.
Senior guard Wooga Poplar ended the game with an 18-point, 15-rebound double-double. It marks his fourth double-double of the season. Poplar has been a huge addition to the Villanova lineup. He is Villanova’s best portal pickup of the offseason, so far.
The win and run was aided by great coaching from Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune and staff. After the loss to Virginia, Neptune has put together a great coaching run.
Takeaway #3: Eric Dixon v. Jahmyl Telfort
Dixon is still on pace to be Villanova’s all-time leading scorer after dropping 28 points. He needs to average 25 points for the rest of the regular season to pass the current all-time scorer Kerry Kittles.
He now averages 26 points to lead the country in points per game. He should be a frontrunner for Naismith Player of the Year. Villanova would be at the bottom of the Big East without him. Dixon is the most versatile player in the country. He has improved his three-point shooting over the offseason to fully round out his game. Last season, Dixon averaged 34.6% on three-pointers. Now he averages 50% on 88 three-point attempts.
Graduate forward Jahmyl Telfort went toe-to-toe with Dixon, finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. It was his second double-double of the season. He played 39 minutes, marking a season-high.
Telfort took advantage of his miss-matches and scored at will. He was in control for almost three-quarters of the game until Villanova went on its game-winning run to end the game.
Through 14 games, Telfort is averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Up next for Villanova (9-5 overall, 2-1): vs. DePaul (9-5, 0-3) – Jan. 4 at Noon
Up next for Butler (7-7 overall, 0-3): at St. John’s (11-3 overall, 2-1) – Jan. 4 at 2 p.m.
[…] this season against Butler. The Wildcats closed the game on a 22-1 run to come from behind and defeat the Bulldogs, 73-65. Villanova forward Eric Dixon had 28 points alongside an 18-point, 15-rebound, double-double from […]