Caleb Daniels’ clutch threes lift Villanova over Butler in a defensive battle

On a quiet night, offensively and in the Finneran Pavilion, Villanova’s final field goal was the biggest exclamation point of the year.

The Wildcats were well on their way to a comfortable, if uneventful, victory. They led, 56-48, with 90 seconds to go when Brandon Slater found space at the top of the key. He drove to his left, and, when met in front of the hoop by Butler’s 6-10 center Jalen Thomas, Slater elevated, slamming the ball over the big man with his left hand. The crowd erupted, cheering wildly in an otherwise buttoned-up game.

“Normally I’m locked in the game, but [when] I saw him dunk the ball, I almost fell over on the court,” Caleb Daniels said. “... One of the far more advanced dunks I’ve ever seen. It was crazy.”

Slater’s dunk was one of few offensive highlights. Villanova shot just 35.2%, but stellar defense led the Wildcats to a 62-50 Senior Night victory and their third consecutive win.

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Four starters scored nine or more points. Justin Moore led the way with 15, while Daniels added 13. Daniels hit threes on consecutive possessions midway through the second half, turning a one-point game into a seven-point lead. The Wildcats cruised to victory from there.

Jayden Taylor kept the Bulldogs (13-14, 5-11 Big East) in it, scoring 20 points. He played 40 minutes as just six Bulldogs saw the court.

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To win on an off shooting night, the Wildcats (13-13, 7-8) relied on defense, ball security, and finding a way to get to the line. Villanova’s defense was relentless, allowing few good looks, especially beyond the arc.

“I think the mark of a good team is when you can get it done and win a game when you’re not making shots,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “If you want to compete toward the end of the season, that’s a tough team we gotta be.”

The Wildcats won the turnover battle, only committing seven. Villanova outscored Butler, 10-0, off turnovers.

Villanova also made it to the free-throw line consistently. The Wildcats made 16 of 19 from the charity stripe, drawing 15 Butler fouls and capitalizing on the nation’s best free-throw percentage. The Wildcats improved their free throw percentage to 82%, just below last season’s record-breaking mark.

“It’s a matter of reading the defense and just being aggressive,” Moore said. “The more aggressive we are, to make plays for others, get in the paint, jump stop, and [find] other guys. The defense has to react to it.”

For the final four seconds, walk-on guard Collin O’Toole saw the floor. The appearance was just his second as a Wildcat, as he appeared for the final five seconds against Boston College in December.

“I think he got a shot contest at the end of the game, too,” Neptune said. “We take pride in everybody going out and playing as hard as they can, no matter how much time it is. … I’m proud of him.”

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Villanova finishes the regular season with five Quad 1 games. The Wildcats play at No. 24 Providence on Saturday (4:30 p.m., Fox) before traveling to Cincinnati on Tuesday to face No. 16 Xavier (6:30 p.m., FS1).