Kamar Baldwin knocked down a buzzer-beating three to lift No. 19 Butler past No. 10 Villanova for a 79-76 win on Wednesday night.
The senior put the game in his hands on the final possession. It worked out for Butler as Baldwin buried a stepback jumper to lift the Bulldogs to the Big East home win.
Kamar calls GAME. pic.twitter.com/MLDG7H3SsM
— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) February 6, 2020
The win puts Butler firmly in the mix among the Big East’s second-tier group.
Seton Hall still maintains the Big East lead. But the Bulldogs are now a game back of Villanova for second place with Wednesday’s win. Butler is still tied with Creighton, Marquette and Providence in the conference standings. But this is a home win that Butler needed if they had any hopes of potentially claiming a Big East regular-season title.
Perhaps most importantly, this is a huge shot for the struggling Baldwin. The senior is a four-year double-digit scorer who has been a reliable offensive threat for Butler. Senior season has been a different story for Baldwin. Shooting a career-low 40 percent from the floor and 29 percent from three-point range, things haven’t come easy for the Butler star over the past few weeks. The past six games, Baldwin is only shooting 2-for-23 from three-point range.
A buzzer-beating three is a huge confidence boost for one of the most dangerous players in college basketball. And for a Butler team that is trying to regain its footing after a hot start, it’s a great sign to see Baldwin take, and make, a huge shot to win a top-25 matchup.