Indianapolis, IN -- (Sports Network) - Matt Howard scored 15 points to lead the Butler Bulldogs to a 64-55 victory over the Cardinals of Ball State in a non- conference matchup between these instate rivals.

Butler also had contributions from Garrett Butcher and Gordon Hayward who scored nine points a piece for the Bulldogs (2-0).

Anthony Newell led the Cardinals (1-1) with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarrod Jones chipped in with 14 points and 12 boards.

Trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, the Cardinals scored the last five points of the stanza to close the gap to 31-29 heading into halftime.

Butler put some distance between itself and the Cardinals as it opened the second half with a 9-0 run. The Bulldogs owned a double-digit lead at that point and held on for the victory.

The Bulldogs won despite a shaky 13-of-25 performance from the foul line.