On other nights, against other opponents, in other circumstances, Butler might have won its Big East basketball opener.
But coming off a layoff, the Bulldogs could not keep up with No. 6 Villanova, which pulled away to an 85-66 victory Wednesday night. It was the home opener for Villanova, which has won 16 in a row at the Finneran Pavilion.
The Bulldogs, who were 13-point underdogs, trailed by two points early in the second half and by six with about eight minutes left. But the Wildcats (6-1) pulled away, exploiting Butler’s 15 turnovers.
It had been 21 days since the Bulldogs last played — a 66-62 victory over Western Michigan at Hinkle Fieldhouse — for the longest in-season gap in Butler history.