13th-ranked Villanova defeats No. 10 Marquette on Main Line

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2009 - Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scottie Reynolds nailed five three-pointers en route to a game-high 27 points to lead the 13th-ranked Villanova Wildcats to their sixth straight win, a 102-84 offensive showcase against the No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles.

Corey Fisher sank 4-of-5 from downtown for 21 points, as Villanova (20-4, 8-3 Big East) hit 18-of-25 from the field in the second half to upend its third ranked opponent during its current win streak.

Shane Clarke notched 16 points and seven rebounds, while Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively, in the Wildcats' 26th straight win at the Pavilion dating back to January of 2007.

Anderson left the game early in the second half with a right knee sprain and did not return.

"They're very potent," Marquette head coach Buzz Williams said. "They have eight high-major plus players. They are playing maybe as well as anybody in the country, coupled with UConn. This is a great environment to play in. I can see why teams have struggled in here over the last two years."

Jerel McNeal posted 23 points and seven assists, while Lazar Hayward added 22 points and nine rebounds for Marquette (20-4, 9-2), which has lost back-to- back games on the heels of a 12-game winning streak.

Wesley Matthews recorded 16 points and Dominic James finished with 14 points and nine helpers in defeat. The Golden Eagles as a whole shot nearly as well from three-point land (11-of-23) as they did from the foul line (15-of-27).

A Reynolds three-ball four minutes after the break had the Wildcats ahead, 59-49, and another make by the point guard, followed by an easy Cunningham bucket at the halfway point, increased the advantage to 78-64.

Despite maintaining a double-digit lead, Villanova continued its breakneck pace. McNeal hit two straight threes to get Marquette within 84-76, but Clark and Antonio Pena put in back-to-back easy buckets to rebuild a double-digit lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

Hayward had a chance to cut into the lead with three minutes left but missed a contested shot in the lane and his putback attempt. Villanova's Reggie Redding was fouled grabbing the rebound and hit 1-of-2 from the line for a 93-82 lead, and Hayward's miss from downtown at the other end essentially sealed the game's outcome.

In the second half the Wildcats shot a sizzling 18-of-25 (72 percent) from the floor.

"Sometimes, you've just got to outscore people," Wildcats head coach Jay Wright said. "We don't like that but it was the only way we were going to do it tonight. Those (Marquette) guards are just that good."

Each team had their respective offensive spurts in the first half, as the Eagles hit six consecutive tries from behind the arc midway through the frame for a 35-27 lead.

After cutting its deficit to one, 'Nova ended the half on a 10-4 run, capped by Corey Stokes' double-clutch 19-footer from the right corner for a 50-45 edge.

Game Notes

With his 21st point of the game, McNeal broke George Thompson's school record of 1,773 career points at Marquette...The Eagles topped the Wildcats in the first meeting of the season, 79-72, which knotted the head-to-head series at 6-6...'Nova scored 102 points for the second straight game. The Wildcats hammered Syracuse, 102-85, on Saturday...The Wildcats wound up shooting 13- of-24 from behind the arc.

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.