Collins, Kansas blow past Texas A&M in second half

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/12/2010 - Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sherron Collins scored 26 points and dished out six assists, and top-ranked Kansas used a big run late in the second half to post a 79-66 victory over No. 23 Texas A&M in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Xavier Henry added 15 points, and Markieff Morris scored 10 for the Jayhawks (31-2), who will face either Kansas State or Baylor in Saturday's championship game.

Top-seeded Kansas, which is trying for its seventh Big 12 title, used great defense to shut down the Aggies in the second half, limiting them without a field goal over an eight-minute stretch.

The Jayhawks, who trailed by as many as nine in the second half, used a 21-2 spurt to take control. They've won their last four games since falling at Oklahoma State on February 27.

Donald Sloan had 24 points for the fourth-seeded Aggies (23-9), who had their four-game winning streak broken and will now wait for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Khris Middleton tallied 14 points and B.J. Holmes 12 for Texas A&M, which fell to 1-16 all-time against Kansas. The Aggies are 0-6 against top-ranked opponents.

Texas A&M led 38-35 at the break, and Middleton's three-pointer widened the lead to 47-38 nearly three minutes into the second half. The Aggies led 55-51 following a pair of Sloan free throws with 10 1/2 minutes to go.

Then came Kansas' huge rally, started with a three-pointer by Henry. Morris' layup gave the Jayhawks the lead, but Sloan interjected with a jumper with under nine minutes left. That would be A&M's last field goal until the final minute.

Morris tacked on a jumper, and Collins came up with a steal and layup to give Kansas a three-point edge. Henry then extended the cushion with a three- pointer from the left wing.

Aggies coach Mark Turgeon was visibly upset at Kansas' players on a couple of occasions, jawing at Collins with under seven minutes left. Texas A&M's Bryan Davis and Kansas' Morris where whistled for technical fouls with 6:41 remaining.

Henry's three-ball capped the burst with five minutes left for the dominating 72-57 cushion. Sloan and Naji Hibbert each hit shots in the final minute for the Aggies, but the game was already decided.

Game Notes

Kansas coach Bill Self captured win No. 200 as Jayhawks coach, joining Phog Allen, Ted Owens and Roy Williams to reach the milestone at the school. Self became the fastest coach in KU's history to reach the 200-win mark, doing it in 243 games. Williams won 200 at Kansas in 252 games...Sloan has played in 136 career games, moving past Josh Carter (2005-09) for the most in A&M history...The Aggies, who beat Nebraska on Thursday, played their second straight contest without sophomore guard Dash Harris, who is out with a right wrist injury...Kansas ended 10-of-18 from three-point range.

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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.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

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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Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

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

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

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.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

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