Month: March 2006 (Page 10 of 11)

Buckeyes win Big Ten Championship

March 5, 2006 / Bob

The Ohio State Buckeyes captured their first outright Big Ten title in 14 years by rolling over Purdue 76-57. The game was close for the first half as Purdue played hard and tried to make it tough on the Buckeyes. The second half was all Ohio State. Terrance Dials led Ohio State with 20 points and was a dominant force under the basket. J.J. Sullinger and Jamar Butler added 16 and 15 points respectively.

The Buckeyes are beginning to get noticed around the country and will have the number one seed entering the Big Ten tournament. The men followed the women who had already won the Big Ten Championship last week. This marks the first time both the men and women from the same university have won outright Big Ten Championships in the same season.

Coach Thad Matta took the microphone after the game and praised the seniors for starting a strong foundation to the basketball program. So, optimistically, we should eliminate Matta from considering the Hoosier post.

OSU Basketball

Buckeye men want Championship to themselves

March 4, 2006 / Bob

The Ohio State Buckeyes will look to capture a Big Ten Title tomorrow against Purdue at home. It would be an amazing accomplishment considering most people figured Coach Matta and OSU were just preparing for next year�s recruiting class. This senior class has been through coaching changes and numerous controversies surrounding the basketball program during their stay in Columbus.

Matta has to very thankful to have such a talented and tough minded group of players. If the Buckeyes can finish strong and make it through 2 rounds of the Big Ten tournament, they will be at least a number 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. If this winning streak continues and they win the Big Ten tournament, look for OSU to be a number one seed in the NCAA�s and set up for a good run to make the final four. This year truly shows Ohio State fans what great coaching can accomplish.

OSU Basketball

Savage, Browns making right moves

March 4, 2006 / Bob

The Cleveland Browns organization is showing signs of stability. Yesterday, General Manager Phil Savage announced the signing of running back Rueben Droughns to a long term contract. The contract keeps Droughns with the Browns through 2009.

This move gives Cleveland a solid core of players on offense. Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and Droughns create a starting line up for the Browns that will finally have some versatility and fire power.

The Browns have a good sum of money to sign some free agents before the draft. I believe if they sign a free agent offensive lineman, the draft will focus on defense. The experts are predicting that Cleveland will draft a linebacker. So far, Savage is keeping is keeping with his plan and signing a core of long term contracts for stability.

Cleveland Browns

Flip comes up big

March 3, 2006 / John Blake

When the word �clutch� comes to mind, nobody on the Cavaliers has fit that description the last five games. Until Thursday night. With less than four seconds remaining, the newly acquired Ronald �Flip� Murray drained a three-pointer to send the Cavs to victory, beating the Chicago Bulls, 92-91.

“My man came off me to slide over on LeBron,” Murray said. “He left me wide open.”

The Cavaliers held a 25 point lead but let the Bulls tie it up late in the fourth quarter. Flip, who finished with 13 points, hit the biggest shot of the game to snap the Cavaliers� five game losing streak. LeBron James scored 33 points for the Cavs and was two assists shy of a triple double.

This game never should have come down to the final seconds but a win is a win. The Cavaliers desperately needed this, as we all know. Maybe a last second victory is just what this club needs to get them jump started.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Streak continues, Cavs lose

March 2, 2006 / John Blake

It�s starting to get a little ugly now. The Cavaliers got beat again Wednesday night, this time to the Sacramento Kings, 97-90. The defeat extends their losing streak to five, including their third straight at home. Cleveland started slowly but jumped out to a 14 point lead early in the second quarter. However, with the help of some good shooting by the Kings and defensive lapses by the Cavs, Sacramento put up 35 points in the third quarter. And as has been the case for the last several games, the Cavaliers struggled to take charge and execute in the fourth quarter. Sacramento, using only a seven man rotation, had all players in double figures. For the Cavaliers, James, Ilgauskas, and Murray all scored 19.

Getting beat by Detroit twice was tough to take, but let�s face it, they are the best team in the East. But tonight�s loss, frankly, was unacceptable especially considering the Cavaliers� large lead early on. In a game we needed in the worst way, we struggled again down the stretch against a team who is 11 games under .500 on the road. The team knows about last year�s collapse and they definitely are pressing.

“Right now, it’s all, ‘Here we go again,'” Cavaliers forward Donyell Marshall said. “Obviously, with the talk of last year, we try not to let that affect us, but I think it’s affecting us right now.”