ASU puts Arizona's NCAA tourney streak in jeopardy

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2009 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Harden had 27 points and eight rebounds to help 23rd-ranked Arizona State take a 68-56 decision over Arizona in quarterfinal action of the Pac-10 Tournament.

Ty Abbott had 11 points and six boards while Jeff Pendergraph added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Sun Devils (23-8), who will take on the winner of Washington/Stanford on Friday.

Jordan Hill scored 20 points and added 13 rebounds to pace the Wildcats (19-13), who dropped five of their final six games of the season and will await their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday. Arizona's run of 24 straight NCAA appearances could be in jeopardy.

Nic Wise chipped in 18 points in the loss.

Trailing by two to start the second half, the Sun Devils opened the final 20 minutes with a 10-3 spurt to take a 42-37 lead on a Pendergraph slam three minutes in.

Arizona State slowly built on its lead and it was a 50-43 game after a layup from Derek Glasser with just under 10 minutes to play.

A three-ball from Rihards Kuksiks followed by a slam from Harden gave the Sun Devils a 60-48 lead with a bit over five minutes left in the game.

Six straight points from Arizona got the Wildcats within six points, 62-56, after Hill put in a layup with 1:17 to play.

However, Harden nailed six straight free throws, the last two coming with 35.6 seconds to play, as the Wildcats failed to make a basket for the rest of the game.

With the Sun Devils holding a seven-point lead early in the first half, the Wildcats surged ahead with an 11-0 run and Hill capped the burst with a slam for a 22-18 lead with a bit over nine minutes to play.

Arizona State responded with a 10-2 run to regain the lead and it was 28-24 on a Jerren Shipp three-ball with a little over five minutes left in the first half.

However, Arizona scored 10 of the final 14 points of the first half and took a 34-32 lead into the locker room.

Game Notes

The Sun Devils won all three matchups with the Wildcats this season, but trail in the all-time series, 138-78...Arizona State shot 52.1 percent in the game while Arizona hit on just 35.5 percent of its shots...Glasser finished the game with nine points...Chase Budinger, Arizona's second-leading scorer at 18.2 ppg, made just 3-of-15 shots -- including a 1-of-9 effort from three- point range -- and scored just eight points.

Jazzsorts NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Galaxy ink four players to MLS contracts
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy signed goalkeeper Josh Saunders, defenders A.J. DeLaGarza and Yohance Marshall and midfielder Kyle Patterson to Major League Soccer contracts, the club announced on Thursday. Saunder

<< Atlanta's Marvin Williams out indefinitely
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams will be out an undetermined amount of time due to lower back pain. Williams has already missed the previous two games due to the injury, and he saw a specialist in No

<< Kirilenko falls in California
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Russian glamour girl Maria Kirilenko came up an opening-round loser Thursday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open. Kirilenko succumbed to Romanian Edina Gallovits 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 on the hardcourts at the

<< 'Nova edges Marquette in Garden thriller
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwayne Anderson's layup at the buzzer gave 10th-ranked Villanova a dramatic 76-75 victory over No. 21 Marquette in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats ha

<< Georgia Tech sends Clemson packing in ACC tourney
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lewis Clinch scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed six rebounds as Georgia Tech upset 17th-ranked Clemson, 86-81, in the first round of the ACC Tournament at the Georgia Dome. Gani Lawal chipped in with

Blue Bombers re-sign Oosterhuis >>
Winnipeg, Manitoba (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers re-signed defensive lineman/fullback Jon Oosterhuis, who is one the longest-tenured Blue Bombers currently on the team, on Thursday. Per team policy, details of the deal we

Bolton coach worried about relegation battle >>
Blackburn, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bolton boss Gary Megson believes up to 13 clubs are still involved in the Premier League relegation battle. The Trotters are currently 11th in the table but Megson believes even clubs as high as eighth

Old Fashioned headlines Rebel Stakes >>
Hot Springs, AR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top rated three-year-old Old Fashioned has drawn the inside post for Saturday's $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The undefeated colt heads a field of nine Kentucky Derby hopefuls in the 1 1

BYU triumphs over Air Force in MWC QFs >>
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmer Fredette scored a team-high 21 points and made 4-of-7 from three-point range as 25th-ranked BYU held off Air Force, 80-69, in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament at Thomas

Man City blanks AaB in UEFA Cup >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Felipe Caicedo and Shaun Wright-Phillips scored in the first half and England's Manchester City beat Denmark's AaB, 2-0, in the UEFA Cup Round of 16 on Thursday. Caicedo opened the scoring in the ninth

Problem with Bears?

Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.

"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."

Bet on NFL

Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.

Bet on NFL

Mysportsbook.com online online sportsbook accepts Visa & Mastercard