Cougars and Miners duke it out for C-USA crown

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03/13/2010 - Tulsa, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two programs trying to claim their first Conference USA Tournament titles come together at the BOK Center in Tulsa, as the top-seeded and 25th-ranked Texas-El Paso Miners clash with the seventh- seeded Houston Cougars.

One of the hottest teams in the nation, UTEP won the C-USA regular-season title with a 15-1 finish and is now gunning for a sweep of the hardware. The Miners kicked off their tourney run with an easy 76-54 win over ninth-seeded UCF in the quarterfinals before disposing of fifth-seeded Tulsa, 75-61, in the semifinal-round yesterday. UTEP now enters its first C-USA Tournament finals with a 16-game win streak, which is tied for the second-longest run in school history.

Houston went just 7-9 during the regular season, but turned it on in the postseason with three straight wins to reach the finals for the first time since 2007. After taking care of 10th-seeded East Carolina (93-80) in the first round, the Cougars ousted four-time defending champion and second-seeded Memphis, 66-65, in a quarterfinal thriller. Houston continued its quest for its first-ever C-USA Tournament championship with a 74-66 triumph of sixth- seeded Southern Miss in the semifinals last night.

With regard to the all-time series, UTEP holds a 10-7 edge over Houston, although the Cougars did hand the Miners' their most recent and only league loss with a 75-65 decision back on January 13th. The Miners, however, did get some payback a few weeks later with a 65-58 win.

The Cougars outscored Southern Miss, 22-10, at the foul line on their way to a 74-66 win last night. Houston did a nice job protecting the ball with only six turnovers, and it also held the Golden Eagles to 38.5 percent shooting from the floor. Aubrey Coleman continued his outstanding play with 27 points in the win, while Kelvin Lewis chipped in with 12 points. The nation's leading scorer, Coleman is averaging 25.6 ppg in this tourney and 26.0 ppg for the season. He also leads the team in seals (87), to go with 7.3 rpg. Lewis, who has scored in double figures in all three postseason games, forms a solid one- two punch with 14.9 ppg.

The Miners connected on 51.9 percent of their attempts from the field and 16- of-23 at the charity stripe, as they topped Tulsa yesterday. UTEP also forced 18 turnovers, generating 20 points off those giveaways. Randy Culpepper led the way with a 21-point effort, while Arnett Moultrie tacked on 18 points. The C-USA Player of the Year, Culpepper paces the Miners in scoring (17.9 ppg) as well as steals (55) for the season. Derrick Caracter, who had 10 points and six boards yesterday, adds 13.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg to the lineup. Jeremy Williams and Moultrie chip in with 10.3 and 10.0 ppg, respectively, and they also combine for 11.5 rpg.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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