Turner leads Ohio State to Big Ten title with rout of Gophers

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evan Turner capped a dominant performance in the Big Ten Tournament with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, as fifth-ranked Ohio State pulled away late to notch an impressive 90-61 win over Minnesota to secure the conference championship.

David Lighty was equally impressive with 20 points, seven boards and five assists, while Jon Diebler knocked down five three-pointers en route to 19 points.

The balanced attack also included 13 points from William Buford as the Buckeyes (27-7) won their third Big Ten title and made their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Lawrence Westbrook had 17 points and Devoe Joseph added 14 on four three- pointers for the sixth-seeded Golden Gophers (21-13), who were aiming for their first Big Ten Tournament championship.

Minnesota's incredible run through the conference bracket certainly placed it squarely on the bubble for an at-large bid, having toppled the likes of No. 11 Michigan State and sixth-ranked Purdue following an opening-round rout of Penn State.

The Gophers kept it close throughout the first half and early on in the second before the likes of Turner and Lighty ignited an incredible 23-5 run to shatter what was a two-point game.

Minnesota trailed by only three at halftime and was within a basket at 42-40 more than six minutes into the second half following a Devron Bostick three- pointer.

Turner then opened the game-changing OSU surge with a jumper and a trey, and Lighty scored the next six points. Diebler banged home a three for a 56-42 difference before Joseph countered with one of his own to slow the Buckeyes' roll.

The run continued, though, as Lighty and Diebler hit from beyond the arc on back-to-back possessions, and Turner converted the conventional three-point play to open up a 20-point lead, 65-45, with a little more than seven minutes to play.

The Gophers were never able to recover down the stretch.

Things looked promising for another exciting Big Ten finish in the first half. Minnesota had it tied at 11-all just past the midway point after a Joseph three-ball found its mark.

The three-point shot dominated certain stretches, and Westbrook used two long distance shots to help keep the Gophers' deficit at 24-21 near the four-minute mark -- bookending one each by Turner and Diebler.

Joseph was able to fake off a defender and sink a three-pointer just before the horn for only a 33-30 Minnesota deficit at halftime.

Game Notes

OSU last won the conference tournament in 2007 and lost to Purdue in last year's finale...Ohio State shot an amazing 65.6 percent from the floor in the second half and 57.6 percent overall...Minnesota connected on 42.3 percent of its shots.

Wwwsunsentinel NCAA Basketball Betting News

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

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According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

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Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

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Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
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