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No. 17 Butler 72, Saint Joseph's 66: Rotnei Clarke scored a season-high 28 points and the Bulldogs made a successful debut in the Atlantic 10 by toppling the host Hawks.

Butler (13-2, 1-0 Atlantic 10) trailed throughout the first half but scored the first seven points of the second half, taking its first lead with 18:07 to play on Andrew Smith's layup. St. Joseph's (8-5, 0-1) took the lead right back, going up 53-48 with 14:12 to go on a pair of Halil Kanacevic free throws.

The Bulldogs turned up the defense, though, holding the Hawks to just three free throws over the next 8:10 to forge a 61-56 lead. Saint Joseph's pulled within two three times over the next five minutes but could never get over the hump, and failed to score in the last 2:56 of the contest.

Andrew Smith had his second double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds, including six on the offensive end. Smith was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Chris Wilson led four Hawks in double figures with 15 points, hitting five of his seven 3-pointers. C.J. Aiken added 13 points, while Ronald Roberts Jr. chipped in with 12 points and a team-high nine boards for Saint Joseph's.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Clarke had set his season low for scoring in each of the last two games with six and four points, respectively. … Saint Joseph's lost for the first time this year when leading at halftime, after winning its first six such contests. … The Bulldogs continue their tough start to their first Atlantic 10 season, playing at Dayton on Saturday. The Hawks hit the road for a Saturday contest at Duquesne.