Matt Howard was in the most opportune position possible. Once again.
Fifty-eight seconds remained, and the Bulldogs had a four-point lead. Howard recovered an offensive rebound and made an easy layup to put Butler up by two possessions.
The Bulldogs are headed to their second national championship game after beating VCU 70-62 Saturday at Reliant Stadium.
Shelvin Mack led all scorers with a team-high of 24 points, going 5-of-6 from the 3-point line. VCU forward Jamie Skeen led all scorers with 27 points.
Sean Vanzant made a crucial 3-pointer with 2:58 to make it 61-54, but Skeen responded by making a 3-pointer, and drawing a foul to get the Rams within four.
The Bulldogs outrebounded 48-32, and took control of the offensive glass, recording 19 second-chance points compared to VCU’s six. The contest had three ties and 10 lead changes.
-John Brannen
