Kellen Dunham scored 15 points and Khyle Marshall added 13, leading No. 17 Butler past New Orleans 57-44 on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (12-2) are 7-0 at home this season and will take a nine-game winning streak into their Atlantic 10 debut Wednesday night at Saint Joseph's.
The Privateers (3-10) were led by Lovell Cook with 11 points and Traddarius McPhearson with 10. But they have lost five straight, are 0-6 in true road games this season and have dropped 15 consecutive road games against Division I opponents.
Butler's sloppy play made this game closer than expected.
They trailed 9-7 midway through the first half and didn't take control until closing the first half on a 9-3 run to take a 24-18 lead.
The Bulldogs opened the second half on an 8-2 spurt to make it 32-20, and New Orleans couldn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way.