NEW YORK -- Finally playing at home for the first time in their seventh game of the year, the Villanova Wildcats defeated the Butler Bulldogs, who were playing only their second game of the season, 85-66 on Wednesday.
 
The victory was the 600th of Villanova coach Jay Wright’s career. 
 
Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl paced four Wildcats (6-1, 2-0 BIG EAST) in double figures with 18 points each.  Justin Moore added 13 points and Jermaine Samuels finished with 12 points and six rebounds. 
 
Butler (1-1, 0-1) started quickly and led 17-10 behind 13 points from Jair Bolden, who finished with 18.  He made 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.  Villanova took the lead for good 12 minutes into the contest, though they could not pull away until late.  The Bulldogs were shorthanded with only nine players in uniform.  Among the missing was starting forward Bryce Golden.
 
The Thursday schedule is an FS1 doubleheader.  At 7 p.m. ET, Creighton plays St. John’s in Carnesecca Arena.  The Bluejays (4-2, 0-1 BIG EAST) will be looking to bounce back from Monday’s 89-84 loss to Marquette.  The Johnnies (5-3, 0-2) lost 97-94 in overtime at Georgetown on Sunday. 
 
Creighton, ranked ninth in both national polls this week, has all five starters averaging in double figures with Denzel Mahoney leading at 16.2 ppg.  In the last full meeting between the two teams, St. John’s beat then-No. 10 Creighton 91-71 at Carnesecca on March 1.
 
In the second game of the FS1 twinbill, Marquette hosts Seton Hall at 9 p.m.  The Golden Eagles (5-2, 1-0) started league play with the Monday win at Creighton.  Koby McEwen leads the team in scoring at 15.7.  D.J. Carton has started the last four games and has averaged 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists over that stretch.
 
Marquette is looking to end a three-game Pirate winning streak in the series.  The Hall’s Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored a career high 32 points in a win against St. John’s last Friday, ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 20.4 scoring average.  
   
BIG EAST teams own an overall record of 37-12 (.755) in non-conference play.