INDIANAPOLIS - Matt Howard had 22 points and nine rebounds, and No. 14 Butler beat Wisconsin-Green Bay 74-65 on Thursday night for its seventh straight win.

Butler guard A.J. Graves (4) makes a pass while being defended by Wisconsin-Green Bay's Rahmon Fletcher (20) during the first half of a college basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Mike Green scored 18 points, A.J. Graves added 13 and Willie Veasley had seven points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (15-1, 4-1 Horizon League), who tied the 2002-03 team for the best start in school history.

Terry Evans led Green Bay (9-6, 3-2) with 12 points and 13 rebounds while Mike Schachtner added 11 points.

The Bulldogs, known as an outside-shooting team, pounded Green Bay in the paint. The Bulldogs made just three 3-pointers, but outrebounded the Phoenix 38-30 and outscored them 29-10 from the free throw line.

It was Butler's seventh straight win in the series.

Green Bay led 23-16 midway through the first half, but Butler chipped away and took a 36-34 lead on two free throws by Graves two minutes before halftime. Butler led 37-34 at halftime despite shooting an unusually poor 10-for-17 from the free throw line. Howard had 16 points and five rebounds in the first half.

Green Bay took a quick 38-37 lead in the second half before Butler responded with a 15-5 run to go up 52-43 with 11 minutes to play.

Schachtner, Green Bay's leading scorer this season, fouled out with 7:24 to go. Veasley made the free throw on the three-point play after Schachtner's foul to give Butler a 61-49 lead.

Uriel Segura made consecutive 3-pointers to help Green Bay cut the lead to 64-59, but the Phoenix got no closer.