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No. 20 Butler 57, New Orleans 44: Freshman Kellen Dunham scored 15 points off the bench as the host Bulldogs overcame a sluggish performance to record their ninth straight victory.

Khyle Marshall scored 13 points while Roosevelt Jones added 11 for Butler (12-2), which yielded its fewest points of the season while posting its lowest total in a win. Marshall recorded a game-high eight rebounds as the Bulldogs enjoyed a 31-20 rebounding advantage, including 20-10 in the first half.

Lovell Cook scored 11 points and Tradarrius McPhearson recorded 10 for the Privateers (3-10), who have lost five straight and eight of their last nine games.

The teams combined to shoot 33 percent in the first half and were tied at 13 after Rarlensee Nelson's jumper with 5:28 left before Butler finished the period on a 11-5 run. Andrew Smith (nine points) scored all seven of his first-half points while McPhearson accounted for New Orleans' points during that span.

The Bulldogs opened the second half with an 8-2 run - highlighted by 3-pointers from Marshall and Rotnei Clarke. They didn't allow the Privateers to get any closer than eight the rest of the way en route to their 16th straight victory when holding opponents to less than 60 points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Clarke, who entered the game averaging a team-high 17.2 points, had reached double figures in 10 straight contests before scoring six points against Pennsylvania on Wednesday. He had four against New Orleans and is 3-for-18 from the field in his last two games. ... New Orleans is playing an independent schedule after returning to the Division I level and will join the Southland Conference beginning in 2013-14. ... The Bulldogs begin their first Atlantic 10 Conference season at preseason favorite Saint Joseph's on Wednesday.