Illinois knocks off No. 9 Purdue in OT

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12/30/2008 - West Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Tisdale scored 18 points to lead the Illinois Fighting Illini to a 71-67 overtime victory over the ninth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten opener at Mackey Arena.

Alex Legion and Mike Davis both scored 12 points for the Illini (13-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who have won seven straight games. Trent Meacham added 11 points while Demetri McCamey scored 10 in the victory.

E'Twaun Moore scored 17 points for Purdue (11-3, 0-1), which saw its six-game win streak halted. JaJuan Johnson totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds and had a chance to win the game at the foul line in the final seconds of regulation, but came up short. Lewis Jackson registered 11 points and Robbie Hummel notched seven points and 11 boards in the loss.

The second half began with Illinois holding a three-point lead and the score remained close throughout the first portion of the stanza. With 7:15 to play in the game, a three-pointer by Moore brought Purdue within 43-42.

At the five-minute mark, the contest was knotted at 47-47 before Legion connected from beyond the arc to make it 50-47. Moore answered with a bucket and following an Illinois turnover, Hummel drilled a bucket that was originally counted as a three-pointer but after review it was only worth two and the hosts held a 51-50 lead.

Two foul shots by Tisdale put Illinois back on top, but Moore answered with a field goal on the other end. With just over two minutes to go, two successful shots from the charity stripe by Johnson gave Purdue a 55-52 edge before Meacham drained a bucket to again make it a one-point game with 1:32 on the clock.

A pair of missed shots by both teams eventually led to the Illini gaining possession, and after a timeout with 12.5 seconds to go, Meacham found Davis all alone in the paint and an easy layup gave Illinois a 56-55 lead. The Boilers quickly made their way to the other end and a foul put Johnson on the line with 1.9 ticks to play and two shots with a chance to essentially win it.

Johnson made the first to tie the score at 56-56, but his second attempt hit the front rim and the game went to overtime.

Purdue led 60-58 nearly two minutes into the extra session, but a jumper by Legion from the right side tied it up. A long alley-oop that was converted by Calvin Brock with 2:30 remaining gave Illinois a two-point edge and an ensuing bucket by Davis increased the margin to 64-60 with 1:13 to play.

Foul shots for both teams created a 65-62 score and Moore's driving layup brought Purdue within one with 38 seconds to play. Another free throw gave the visitors a three-point edge and a miss by Moore from the lane was Purdue's final threat.

The contest was tight in the first half with the teams trading baskets for most of the opening 20 minutes. Bobby Riddell's three-pointer brought Purdue within 6-4 over five minutes in. Near the midpoint of the stanza, with the Boilermakers holding a four-point lead, Tisdale's bucket cut the Illinois deficit to 12-10.

From there, a 10-2 run by the visitors gave them a 20-14 advantage with just over five minutes to go. The spurt was capped by an Legion basket. Two free throws by Johnson brought his team within 24-22, and after another free throw by Riddell and Meacham's running floater from the lane as the clock expired gave the Illini a 26-23 lead at the break.

Game Notes

Purdue fell to 8-2 at home this season, while Illinois improved to 2-0 on the road...Purdue leads the all-time series, 88-83...Illinois shot 42.9 percent from the field and made only one shot from three-point range (1-of-9)...Purdue won the battle on the glass, 47-41.

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Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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