Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS — “Boys! We are going to win this basketball game!”
That was the proclamation made by Butler head coach Thad Matta in the Dawgs huddle midway through the 2nd half of their Big East match-up with Villanova Saturday afternoon inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
It was sheer force of will, a miraculous comeback, and a little “Hinkle Magic” that willed the Bulldogs to their third straight victory in an 88-81 thriller that took two overtime periods to decide.
“Proud of our guys for staying the course,” Matta said. “These guys locked down. This is a team full of guys that have something to prove. They do a great job playing for each other.”
What turned into a classic Big East game between two foes who have a long history inside the rustic physique of a sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,327 fans), was anything but for the Dawgs as the opening tip came and went.
The Bulldogs missed their first ten shots, while the Wildcats also had a slow start, but got up 11-0 early. Butler would not score their first bucket until eight minutes had passed.
Down 15-2, the Bulldogs’ hot shooting from a game ago (57%) was ice cold and remained so as illustrated by DJ Davis and Pierre Brooks having zero points in the first half.
“They had a long line-up to start,” said Matta of Villanova’s length which made it tough to get the shots they wanted. “We were playing off one foot. We were kind of beating ourselves.”
Butler could not buy many more, nor many rebounds as the Dawgs were outrebounded 13-to-3 in the first half.
Despite their shortcomings in the first half, Butler kept the bleeding to a minimum, forcing buckets however they could find them and held on to a 36-27 deficit at halftime. They closed the half 11-of-16 shooting after going 0-10 to start.
The struggles continued early on in the second half. The Bulldogs continued to struggle getting shots to fall. But, Villanova, led by Eric Dixon’s 28 points, also struggled and had to fight for every bucket they could get.
Butler forced 14 Nova turnovers, but Butler was unable to get any points off those turnovers. With 7:35 left in the 2nd half, Villanova led 52-40 and appeared poised to put the game on ice from there.
It was at this juncture that Matta made his sweeping proclamation to the dejected players in his huddle: “Boys! We are going to win this basketball game! We are going to win it!”
By the final minute, Butler had clawed (and rebounded) their way back to a 64-62 deficit in a stretch in which neither team appeared they could miss from behind the arc. Davis in particular came alive. By the game’s end, Davis, who had 0 points in the first half, would have 27 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Davis did miss a free throw in that stretch, which he rarely does. Davis hit five three-point baskets in the second half.
“I was upset with myself,” Davis said of the miss. “I won’t miss no more. This gym is incredible. Coming from a mid-major, our games never sold out. Just having those emotions explode (when you hit a shot), it certainly gave me a boost.”
“When you’ve got a guy who is hot like that you just got look for him,” said Jahmyl Telfort. “Every time DJ had the ball he made the right decision to either shoot it or pass it.”
Telfort, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, gathered a stunning pass on a broken play from Jalen Thomas at the end of regulation for a game-tying dunk. 64-64. We go to overtime.
Two tired teams needed 10 more minutes of basketball to decide the match-up. Butler would not have their first lead of the game until going up 66-64 in the first overtime. Going down 72-68 later in the period, Davis hit two lay-ups in a row to tie the game at 72-72 forcing another overtime.
Again, Villanova got up 78-74, anchored by a lead-extending bucket from Tyler Burton. A stop and subsequent Nova foul put Telfort at the line where he made two free throws. Another stop led to another lay-up from Davis to tie the game. Completing the 6-0 run was Posh Alexander, who despite a tough night gave Butler the rare lead. Alexander finished with 12 points.
Careful strategy and going 8-for-8 at the foul line from their secured what is by far, according to this reporter, the most miraculous comeback Butler has engineered this season for an 88-81 victory.
“I was telling my daughter before the game that when I was a player here, I used to visualize this place being sold out,” Matta said. “The energy and electricity that was in this building today was incredible. There was a stretch there this place got loud and we got some stops and made shots. Butler fans, to me, are the best.”
The Bulldogs have won three straight games which gets their conference slate back on track as they now sit 5-5 in Big East play. The Bulldogs are now 6-1 inside Hinkle Fieldhouse against Villanova.
The grit shown in Saturday’s victory needs to remain for the Dawgs as they continue a tough stretch in their schedule. The #17 Creighton Blue Jays await a visit out west from Butler in less than a week (2/2).
“It’s hard to explain when you see something coming together,” Matta said of the growth of his team. “It’s been amazing to see the comradery and the togetherness. We still have a lot of work to do, but I would take these guys in to battle against anybody.”
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