Markus Howard scored 28 points and Theo John added 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the 11th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles to a 79-69 win over Butler on Wednesday night.
Marquette (22-4, 11-2 Big East) erased a eight-point deficit early in the second half with a 25-7 run.
The Golden Eagles moved into first place in the Big East Conference by themselves after 17th ranked Villanova fell surprisingly to Georgetown 85-73. Marquette has a half game lead on the Wildcats in the conference race.
Howard, who leads the Big East in scoring, made 9 of 20 shots from the field, including 6 of 13 from beyond the arc.
Sean McDermott had 27 points and Kamar Baldwin 12 for Butler (15-12, 6-8).
The Golden Eagles hit the road and play at Providence on Saturday.
