INDIANAPOLIS -- It was an emotional Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse, where No. 23 Butler was faced with the task of trying to win a Big East Conference basketball game against St. John's while coping with the death of former center Andrew Smith, who lost his two-year battle with cancer this week.

The grieving Bulldogs started slowly, then began to pull away during the first half's final three minutes on their way to a 78-58 victory.

Butler senior guard Kellen Dunham, who played one season with Smith, scored 24 points, and reserve forward Kelan Martin added 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Butler (13-4, 2-3 in the Big East) established a 14-point lead through 20 minutes and never allowed St. John's (7-12, 0-6) to challenge in the second half.

"Because of Andrew and his family, this game meant a lot to our team," said Martin, who helped the Bulldogs out-rebound the Red Storm, 42-31. "We wanted to play really well for his family."

At game's end, the Bulldogs gathered with Smith's family and presented them with the game ball.

Center Andrew Chrabascz added 13 points for the Bulldogs, who had played three Top 25 teams -- Providence, Xavier and Villanova -- among their four most recent games before facing the Red Storm.

Guard Federico Mussini led St. John's with 14 points, guard Felix Balamou added 13 and guard Durand Johnson finished with 12. The Red Storm shot only 33.9 percent (19-of-56), including only 4-of-21 from 3-point range.

"After our recent play, our guys recognized that we needed to play better," Butler coach Chris Holtmann said. "I was pleased with our defense in stretches today, but we continue to have a long way to go on the defensive end.

"Because our margin for error on the defensive end is so razor thin, we have to have full commitment on defense. Without it, we will struggle in the Big East."

Two Dunham free throws with 7:20 to play pushed Butler's advantage to 64-47. Consecutive field goals from Martin gave the Bulldogs a 68-50 cushion with 5:27 remaining. Dunham's 3-pointer with 3:31 to go gave Butler a 72-54 lead.

Another Dunham 3-pointer with 15:59 remaining extended the Bulldogs' lead to 51-35, and Martin scored 24 seconds later on a goal tending call for a 53-35 advantage.

Butler outscored St. John's 13-2 during the opening half's final 3:14, including 3-pointers from Dunham and Martin, to lead 39-25 through 20 minutes.

"We simply had a lack of focus on the game plan and the scouting report in that stretch," St. John's coach Chris Mullin said. "We didn't recognize their personnel as well as we should have in the last three minutes of the first half.

"Butler also pounded us on the boards, and we didn't shoot well. Shots were going up, and we didn't have anyone near the basket in rebounding position."

The Bulldogs got 12 first-half points from Dunham, nine from Chrabascz and eight points and eight rebounds off the bench from Martin.

"Early in the game, we turned the ball over way too much," said Dunham, who made four of Butler's seven 3-pointers. "I don't think we were passive, but the coaches made it known that we weren't playing well enough.

"We finally started taking care of the ball, and that was the big key."

St. John's shot only 36 percent (9-of-25) during the opening half, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range.

Mussini led the Red Storm with eight first-half points. Butler out- rebounded St. John's 23-11 in the first half, including 6-1 on the offensive glass.

NOTES: Butler honored former player Andrew Smith, who lost his battle with cancer this week, with a moving pregame video tribute and then at halftime, when his wife, Samantha, spoke to the crowd. ... St. John's graduate assistant coach Dru Anthrop, a former Purdue player and a Lafayette, Ind., native, was reunited with former Boilermaker teammates Ryne Smith and D.J. Byrd, who attended Saturday's game. ... The Red Storm starting lineup features an international flavor with two natives of Italy and one each from Guinea, Mali and France. ... Butler enjoyed a 14-point halftime lead despite making only one more field goal (12) than turnovers (11). ... Butler G Kellen Dunham was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line during the opening 20 minutes.