Butler has experienced a full range of emotions in the final seconds over its last two games, losing to the Big East's best team on a 3-pointer before converting a layup to beat the one that's bringing up the rear in the conference.
A big edge inside helped it have things under control as the clock ticked down in its first meeting with Xavier.
The 19th-ranked Bulldogs will try to avoid another nail-biter Saturday at the Cintas Center, where the Musketeers return hoping to build on an emotional win over their biggest rival.
Villanova's Darrun Hilliard hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left last Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse, giving the Wildcats a 68-65 win that denied Butler a chance to pull even for the Big East lead.
The Bulldogs (19-7, 9-4) found out the next day that third-leading scorer Andrew Chrabascz would miss two to four weeks with a broken bone in his right hand, but they recovered just in time to avoid a costly road slip-up Monday.
Down six with less than three minutes to play, Butler closed on a 10-2 run and beat last-place Creighton 58-56 on Roosevelt Jones' layup with 1.9 seconds left.
''It's probably as proud of a group as I've been given what we came off of Saturday night, losing a teammate to injury and playing in a hostile environment,'' coach Chris Holtmann said. ''I thought they showed great grit down the stretch to pull this one out.''
Jones, who finished with 18 points and six assists, and Kellen Dunham, who has averaged 20.8 points in four February games, may have to pick up the slack again. Chrabascz led the way in an 88-76 home win over Xavier (17-10, 7-7) on Jan. 10, scoring 19 points in just 24 minutes.
Butler scored 54 points in the second half of that one, and its ability to dominate inside made the difference. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Musketeers 37-26, turned 13 offensive boards into 21 second-chance points and shot 42 free throws - the most by any Big East team in a conference game over the past two seasons.
"At times they're going to be smaller," Xavier coach Chris Mack said of a Chrabascz-less Butler. "They try to get a little bit more in transition. ... But they're still going to be the same team.
"The way they offensive rebound was a big storyline in (the first meeting), and we're going to have to do a much better job with 50-50 balls and just not get out-toughed like we did in Indianapolis."
The Bulldogs shot a season-low seven free throws against Creighton. Butler is 11-0 when it gets to the line at least 24 times.
If the Bulldogs' recent road trips are any indication, this one might come down to the wire. The game in Omaha was Butler's fifth straight away from home decided by four points or fewer, two of which required overtime.
Xavier and Cincinnati didn't need five extra minutes to decide their heated rivalry Wednesday night, but it came down to a frenzied final 60 seconds. After blowing a 10-point second-half lead and going down two, the Musketeers got a Dee Davis 3-pointer and three free throws in the final 12 seconds to win 59-57 on the Bearcats' campus.
Mack thinks his team can carry the emotion of the win the four miles back home, particularly considering what happened against Butler last time.
"They were the much tougher team down the stretch," Mack said. "And if that doesn't ignite a fire under this team, I don't know what will."
Xavier center Matt Stainbrook scored a season-high 21 points last month against Butler.
