Matt Howard scored 19 points Saturday to lead Butler to its sixth straight victory in a 79-52 decision over UIC.Andrew Smith added 16 points for the Bulldogs (20-9, 12-5), percentage points out of second place in the Horizon League. Shawn Vanzant scored 11, and Shelvin Mack had 10 points for his 13th consecutive game in double figures. Mack also had a game-best six assists, and Howard and Smith grabbed nine rebounds apiece.Paul Carter’s 15 points paced the Flames (7-22, 2-15), who shot just 38.2 percent and have lost six of seven. Robo Kreps added 10 points.Smith’s dunk with 6:41 left in the first half put Butler ahead 23-22. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 40-27 at intermission and were never threatened afterward.Butler, which shot 50 percent (32 of 64), has won 27 of its last 28 games when yielding fewer than 60 points.