Wake Forest stays perfect, ends BYU's home win streak at 53
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
01/03/2009 - Provo, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Teague poured in a game-high 30 points to help No. 6 Wake Forest deal BYU its first home loss in over three years with a 94-87 victory over the Cougars.
BYU had won an astounding 53 consecutive games at the Marriott Center, with the last setback for the squad coming against Loyola Marymount in the 2005-06 home opener. The streak was the longest in the nation.
James Johnson added 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Demon Deacons (13-0), who are undefeated through 13 games for the first time since 1996-97. The win helps set up a possible meeting of unbeatens January 11 when No. 1 North Carolina pays a visit to Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest is idle until then while the Tar Heels play home games against Boston College and the College of Charleston over the next seven days.
Al-Farouq Aminu chipped in 12 points and seven boards in the win.
Jimmer Fredette logged 23 points and nine helpers for the Cougars (11-2), who have dropped two of three overall with the other loss coming against then 20th-ranked Arizona State. Jonathan Tavernari ended with 18 points and nine boards while Lee Cummard had 17 and eight.
With the game tied at 85, Johnson's tip-in gave Wake Forest an 87-85 lead with 91 seconds left. After BYU failed to score on its ensuing possession, L.D. Williams was fouled and hit 1-of-2 to make it a three-point game.
Chas McFarland was fouled with 42.9 seconds remaining and hit just one shot to make it 89-85.
Jackson Emery's three-point attempt caromed off the rim on the other end and Tavernari's put-back was no good either, allowing Teague to grab the rebound and go to the line with 25.8 seconds showing. He hit both shots to make it a six-point affair, which all but sealed the win.
Teague's jumper tied the game and Williams followed with a three to give the Demon Deacons a 30-27 lead with 7:52 left in the first half.
The teams continued to trade baskets before BYU assumed a 48-45 lead at the intermission.
Aminu's three-pointer gave Wake Forest a 54-53 lead about 2 1/2 minutes into the second half.
However, Charles Abouo hit a pair of free throws to spark a 9-0 BYU run that gave the Cougars a 62-54 advantage with 14:37 left in the game.
Down by six moments later, Johnson hit a three-pointer to spark an 11-0 spurt to give the Demon Deacons a 77-72 lead.
The lead then changed hands before a layup from Cummard tied the game at 84 with just over three minutes left.
Game Notes
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with the Cougars by a count of 4-1...Against ranked opponents, the Cougars have an all-time record of 50-113 and are 14-21 versus such teams at the Marriott Center over the years. BYU is just 17-62 versus schools in the top-10, with Wake being the highest-ranked, non-conference opponent ever to face BYU in this building.
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pavel Datsyuk posted the lone shootout tally, and the Detroit Red Wings rallied to top the Minnesota Wild, 3-2. In the first round of the shootout, Datsyuk faked to his backhand, quickly went to the foreh
<< Nets' Harris sits out as Nets lose to Heat
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Jersey Nets starting point guard Devin
Harris sat out Saturday's 101-96 overtime loss to the Miami Heat to rest a
sore hamstring.
The Nets were coming off an overtime win Friday night and Harris d
<< Wade and Heat edge Nets in OT
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwyane Wade scored 29 points, grabbed eight
rebounds and dished out six assists, as the Miami Heat held on in overtime to
take a 101-96 decision with the New Jersey Nets.
Wade also recorded three steals an
<< Bibby's three knocks out Rockets in another home win for Hawks
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Bibby's three-pointer with 1.5 seconds to
play in the game sent the Atlanta Hawks past the short-handed Houston Rockets,
103-100, at Philips Arena.
Josh Smith posted a season-high 29 points on 13-of-16 sh
<< Carolina storms back to down Lightning
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Williams had a goal and an assist as the
Carolina Hurricanes edged the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, at St. Pete Times
Forum.
Chad LaRose and Joni Pitkanen each had a goal for the Hurricanes, who have w
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Parker's fadeaway baseline jumper off an offensive rebound just beat the final buzzer, as the San Antonio Spurs fended off a furious Philadelphia comeback in a 108-106 thriller. The Spurs watche
Minnesota's late rally leads to win in Chicago >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randy Foye scored 21 points to lead the
Timberwolves past the Bulls, 102-92.
Al Jefferson chipped in 18 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, which has won
two in a row and four of six overall. Kevin L
Blues solve Mason, down Blue Jackets >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Steen had a goal and two assists while
Manny Legace made 20 saves as the St. Louis Blues downed the Columbus Blue
Jackets, 5-2, at Scottrade Center.
Brandon Crombeen had a goal and an assist while
No LT? No problem! Sproles leads Bolts past Colts in Wild Card tilt >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darren Sproles filled in for an injured
LaDainian Tomlinson and carried the Chargers to a dramatic overtime victory
over the Indianapolis Colts, as his 22-yard touchdown scamper in the extra
session
Howard helps No. 25 Butler past Valparaiso >>
Valparaiso, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Howard had 16 points and Gordon Hayward
provided 15 points and 13 rebounds as the 25th-ranked Butler Bulldogs topped
Valparaiso, 75-62, in Horizon League action.
Willie Veasley also scored 15 and Shel
Big 12 Conference betting odds
Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State
Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.
Work left to do:
Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.
Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.
Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.