Kellen Dunham and No. 22 Butler are getting a boost from this big run of games in the Big East. "It's February in league play," coach Chris Holtmann said. "Both teams have something to play for, something significant, so I think emotions are certainly escalated." Dunham had 21 points, including a sequence that led to five straight free throws, and seven rebounds to lead Butler over St. John's 85-62 on Tuesday night. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588441
Villanova started with the kind of sloppy basketball that made it somehow the worst basketball team to call the Wells Fargo Center home this season. Once the Wildcats straightened themselves out, they took over. Ryan Arcidiacono scored 18 points and Darrun Hilliard had 12 to lead No. 7 Villanova to a 70-52 win over Marquette on Wednesday night. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588443
Providence was in deep trouble against No. 24 Georgetown, and then it clawed all the way back to a big road win. This is one confident bunch of Friars. Ben Bentil had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Providence rallied for a 74-71 victory over Georgetown on Wednesday night. LaDontae Henton scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half for the Friars (17-6, 7-3 Big East), who also beat the Hoyas 60-57 on Jan. 10. Carson Desrosiers finished with 14 points. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588445
Villanova wore 1985 throwback uniforms in a nod to its national championship season and played selected highlights from that title game on the big screen. The Wildcats created a few more for this season's reel against the latest version of a Georgetown team that -- 30 years later -- still could not solve its Big East rival. Darrun Hilliard scored 15 points and Josh Hart had 13 to help No. 7 Villanova avenge its worst game of the season with a 69-53 win over No. 24 Georgetown on Saturday. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588449
Kellen Dunham hit four 3-pointers and scored 24 points, leading No. 22 Butler over DePaul 83-73 Saturday. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588450
Early Wednesday morning Villanova's Josh Hart was in bed battling a virus bug. Several hours later, he bounced bag from slow start and scored all 10 of his points in the second half to help the sixth-ranked Wildcats beat Providence 74-68. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588453
Darrun Hilliard thought he might cry before the game began. By the end of it, he may have made some Providence fans shed tears. Hilliard scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half, senior classmate JayVaughn Pinkston had 16 points and eight rebounds, and No. 6 Villanova clinched at least a share of its second straight Big East regular-season title with an 89-61 rout of No. 25 Providence on Tuesday night. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588468
Butler got back to playing its style Wednesday night. It took care of the ball, shared the wealth and celebrated another milestone win, together. Kellen Dunham scored 22 points and Kameron Woods added 14 as the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs raced past short-handed Marquette 73-52. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588470
Creighton's physical defense left Villanova reeling, but the fourth-ranked Wildcats managed to get out of CenturyLink Center with their hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament still alive. Ryan Arcidiacono converted a three-point play to give Villanova the lead in the last minute and came up with the game's final rebound, which helped the Wildcats win their 11th straight game 76-72 on Tuesday. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588477
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had a big homecoming planned for Tuesday night. With some of his favorite fans in the crowd, he didn't disappoint. The junior guard came up with two steals and made four free throws in the final 10 seconds to cap a 16-point night and help Georgetown hold on for a 60-54 upset at No. 21 Butler. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588476
Down by eight points after seeing his team shoot 26 percent in the second half, Providence coach Ed Cooley told point guard Kris Dunn to stop thinking and play, and the rest of the No. 24 Friars to pound the boards and play defense. It was a plan that translated into the Friars' best half of the season. Dunn scored all 17 of his points in the second half, freshman Ben Bentil had a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, LaDontae Henton added 21 points and Providence shot 67 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes in a 79-66 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday night. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400588478
Deep in their hearts SMU's players knew they were already in the NCAA Tournament. But after what happened to them last season, the Mustangs were taking no chances. Markus Kennedy scored 15 points and the regular-season American Athletic Conference champions held off UConn 62-54 on Sunday to also win the tournament title. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400785259
Butler's coach Chris Holtmann caught sight of his 4-year-old daughter Nora bouncing around in the aftermath of his first NCAA tournament victory as a head coach, oblivious to exactly what her daddy and his players have done over the last five months. "She has no idea what just happened," Holtmann said with a laugh. She'll learn. It's Butler. It's March. Winning and defying expectations is just what the Bulldogs do. Kellen Dunham scored 20 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 1:18 to play, and sixth-seeded Butler churned out a 56-48 victory over 11th-seeded Texas on Thursday. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400785346
Having already dismissed the First Four's comeback kids, Xavier now gets the NCAA tournament's little darlings. Matt Stainbrook scored 20 points, Dee Davis added 17 and the sixth-seeded Musketeers beat No. 11 seed Mississippi 76-57 in the West Regional on Thursday. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400785458
Thirty years after an improbable run to a stunning national championship, Villanova is going to try it this time around as a prohibitive favorite to reach the Final Four. With a romp in the opening act, the Wildcats showed they're up to the task of headlining on the way to Indianapolis.Without a hint of doubt, the Wildcats flexed their top-seeded muscle and showed why President Barack Obama picked them to reach the NCAA Tournament title game, thumping Lafayette 93-52 on Thursday night. Read more
All the talk that the Hoyas couldn't handle underdogs can hush. Georgetown finally showed it can be a bully in March again. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera scored 25 points, Mikael Hopkins had 10 points and nine rebounds, and fourth-seeded Georgetown avoided another NCAA Tournament upset by beating No. 13 seed Eastern Washington 84-74 on Thursday night. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400785352
All the focus was on Georgia State's bench because of Ron Hunter, the coach's torn Achilles tendon, and the now famous stool he used to work the sidelines in the NCAA tournament. It's was Xavier's bench, though, that stole the show in a 75-67 win that sends the Musketeers to the Sweet 16 for the third time in six seasons under coach Chris Mack. Read more http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400786184
No. 11 Villanova beats Fairleigh Dickinson 91-54 Villanova coach Jay Wright is quite impressed by his new backcourt combination of Ryan Arcidiacono and Jalen Brunson. Brunson, a freshman, had 12 points and four assists in his debut, and Arcidiacono, a senior, also netted 12 points as No. 11 Villanova opened with a 91-54 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday night. Read more http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400840331
No. 24 Butler breaks records in 144-71 win over The Citadel Butler didn't stop scoring until the school's record book had some changes made to it. Kellen Dunham scored 24 points and No. 24 Butler broke four school records Saturday night in a 144-71 trouncing of The Citadel. Read more http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400825765
No. 11 Villanova routs Nebraska 87-63 Villanova head coach Jay Wright was perfectly calm in the huddle when he called a timeout with his team trailing by seven midway through the first half. He knew it was nothing the Wildcats hadn't seen before. Spurred by 19 points from Josh Hart and 17 points and 10 rebounds fromDaniel Ochefu, No. 11 Villanova used a 22-0 run late in the first half to roll past visiting Nebraska 87-63 on Tuesday night. Read more http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400809394
