UC Santa Barbara drops Long Beach State in Big West final

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/14/2010 - Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Orlando Johnson finished with 20 points as UC Santa Barbara pulled out a 69-64 win over Long Beach State in the Big West Conference Tournament final.

James Nunnally added 19 points for the top-seeded Gauchos (20-9), who secured the automatic NCAA Tournament berth with their second-ever Big West tourney title. UCSB's only other victory in this tournament came in 2002.

"I thought back to all this hard work that we put in, I figured it had to pay off," Johnson said. "We worked so hard, nine months strong, ever since the beginning of the summer we had one goal, which was to get here and make the tournament."

Casper Ware had 19 points to pace the third-seeded 49ers (17-16), who were looking for their fifth Big West tourney title. T.J. Robinson and Greg Plater added 15 and 14 points, respectively, in the loss.

"We just didn't quite play good enough," Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson said. "You can sit here as a coach and bemoan our execution or your rebounding or whatever. But the bottom line is they made plays and they beat us."

UCSB led 47-37 after James Powell connected on a three-pointer with a little under 13 minutes to play, but Long Beach State charged back with a 10-0 run to even the game. Ware's fastbreak layup with 9 1/2 minutes left capped the rally.

The game remained close down the stretch, and with 2:09 left, Robinson's layup had the 49ers within 60-59. However, at the other end, Nunnally drained a three to provide a two-possession edge for UCSB.

Ware then sank two free throws with 1:45 on the clock, and neither team scored again until Robinson went to the line with 28.8 seconds remaining. He made just 1-of-2 to keep Long Beach State down a point, 63-62.

The 49ers fouled Powell, who made both attempts to make it a three-point game. Instead of trying for the long-distance shot, Long Beach State tried to get a quick basket. However, Ware missed a floater, and Stephan Gilling was called for an offensive foul going back up with the rebound.

Powell and Nunnally each sank two more free throws in the remaining time to seal the win.

The Gauchos built up a 10-point lead late in the first half, but Long Beach State ended the period on a Plater three and Robinson layup to get within 35-30 at the break.

UCSB continued to play in front in the second half, and consecutive baskets from Jaime Serna about three minutes in had the Gauchos up 41-32.

Game Notes

UCSB will go into the NCAA tourney on a three-game win streak. The Gauchos have won nine of their last 10...Long Beach State had won its previous three...The teams split the regular season series.

24hrsportsbook NCAA Basketball Betting News

<< Nadal, Djokovic move on at BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were both second-round winners Saturday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters event. Nadal, the reigning titlist and third seed, ea

<< Report: Jets head coach Ryan undergoes lap-band surgery
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan reportedly underwent a procedure Saturday at NYU Medical Center to help him battle his obesity. According to the New York Daily News, Ryan was released following the sur

<< Curry and Ellis lift Warriors over spiraling Raptors
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Stephen Curry finished with 35 points and Monta Ellis had 31, as the guards helped the Golden State Warriors end a six-game slide with a 124-112 win over the Toronto Raptors. Curry, who was one po

<< Canucks rip Senators in return home
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mikael Samuelsson scored twice, as the Vancouver Canucks returned home to GM Place with a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks were forced to play 14 straight games on the road, spannin

<< Houston Baptist takes inaugural Great West title
Orem, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jake Thomas scored 24 points and South Dakota earned a postseason trip with a 91-86 victory over Houston Baptist in the championship game of the inaugural Great West Conference Tournament. Kendall Cutle

Red Sox prospect Westmoreland to have brain surgery >>
Fort Myers, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland is scheduled to have brain surgery Tuesday after being diagnosed with a cavernous malformation in his brain, the team announced Saturday. Westmoreland, 19

Record-setting Ruangkit wins European Seniors event >>
Nakhonpathom, Thailand (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit fired a seven-under 65 and set multiple records Sunday in winning the Chang Thailand Senior Masters. Ruangkit finished three rounds on the Royal Gems course at 21-und

Taiwan's Tseng wins Women's Australian Open >>
Melbourne, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Taiwan's Yani Tseng fired a flawless seven-under 66 on Sunday to capture the Women's Australian Open. The two-time LPGA Tour winner finished four rounds on the Commonwealth course at nine-under 283

Capitals visit Blackhawks in clash of NHL powerhouses >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Capitals and Blackhawks could very well meet this year in the Stanley Cup Finals, but neither probably feels like a championship- caliber club right now. Both Washington and Chicago will try to bounce back from disappo

Predators aim to extend series win streak over Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There is a chance that the Predators could visit the Kings in the postseason's opening round depending on how the Western Conference shakes down. Los Angeles would prefer that didn't happen. Currently seeded seventh in the

MySportsbook.com, Online Sportsbook and Casino, is celebrating our 9th football season online since our launch in 1997. MySportsbook.com has experienced exponential growth, having taken over $8 billion in Sports and Casino Wagers since we opened our doors.

This year we will accept over $3 billion in wagers. Tens of thousands of winning wagers are created daily for the 300,000 people that have joined our website. In August of 2005, MySportsbook.com was acquired by Sportingbet, a UK company which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Combined, MySportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world's largest internet sportsbook company and one of the internet's most profitable companies. The acquisition has provided for added transparency and accountability to MySportsbook.com customers and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. Our business is audited by BDO Stoy Hayward, one of the largest auditing firms in London, and our accounts are published quarterly on the London Exchange. We encourage you to take a look around and truly hope you enjoy your experience.

Through advertising deals with the top handicapping sites in the world, MySportsbook.com reaches a global audience and is one of the most commonly visited gaming spots on the Internet.

MySportsbook.com offers the largest selection of casino games and sporting wagers on the Internet. We believe that an educated player is a more responsible gambler, thus we provide you with all of the latest news and handicapping information. MySportsbook.com is your ultimate destination for gaming information and wagering. You can start by signing up in the Casino or Sportsbook. Once you sign up you can use your same login in either the casino or Sportsbook. So do it now and start winning serious money Today!

If at any time you have a question, we have numerous people waiting to help you, so don't be afraid to call our customer service department. We do not take any telephone wagers but we can certainly answer any questions you may have about our service.

MySportsbook.com is officially licensed in Antigua as a preferred licensee recognized by the Directorate of offshore gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

What more could you ask for from an Online Sportsbook?