Second-half explosion lifts Villanova over Butler

Bryce Lindsay scored 18 points and Villanova enjoyed a second-half offensive explosion en route to an 85-67 road victory over Butler on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Villanova (12-2, 3-0 Big East) trailed 33-30 at halftime before scoring 55 second-half points on 70.4 percent shooting. Matt Hodge added 17 points for the Wildcats, while Duke Brennan contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Villanova's Acaden Lewis notched 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Finley Bizjack scored 18 points to pace Butler (10-5, 1-3), which has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. Michael Ajayi contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 6 of 27 from 3-point range.

After trailing by three points at halftime, Villanova surged out of the locker room with four different players scoring a bucket in the first three minutes.

Tyler Perkins and Brennan began the half with layups before Lindsay and Hodge knocked down 3-pointers to put the Wildcats ahead 40-33.

Shortly thereafter, Lindsay made a 3-pointer on back-to-back trips to create a 58-45 lead.

With 8:29 remaining, Drayton Jones' three-point play drew the hosts to within 63-56. However, an 8-0 run by Villanova -- including four points by Perkins -- ended any threats of a comeback.

The Wildcats went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the final 90 seconds to seal their fifth straight win.

Butler jumped out to a 14-5 lead behind seven points from Bizjack, but Villanova got within 16-15 with nine minutes left in the half.

The Bulldogs went ahead by as many as eight late in the session before Brennan and Malachi Palmer scored all the points during a 7-0 run that brought the Wildcats within 31-30 in the final minute.

Ajayi's late layup sent Butler into the locker room with a 33-30 edge.

Bizjack led all players with 14 points in the first half.

--Field Level Media