Battle helps Penn State upset No. 14 Purdue

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01/07/2009 - University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Talor Battle scored 21 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed five rebounds, as Penn State notched one of its biggest victories in the Ed DeChellis era, downing undermanned and 14th-ranked Purdue, 67-64, at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Battle's backcourt mate Stanley Pringle added 18 points, while Jamelle Cornley and Danny Morrissey collected 10 points apiece for the Nittany Lions (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten), who have won three straight home games against ranked teams.

Andrew Jones grabbed 11 rebounds -- eight on the offensive end -- to highlight the Nittany Lions' 41-27 edge on the backboards, including a 22-6 edge in the offensive rebound department.

The rebounding advantage illustrated the absence of Purdue's All Big Ten star Robbie Hummel, whose 13.8 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds were missing due to a back injury.

E'Twaun Moore led Purdue (11-4, 0-2) with 21 points, Namanja Calasan added 11 points and five rebounds and Lewis Jackson collected 10 points and dished out five assists.

Jones showed his presence early as Penn State got multiple opportunities on several offensive trips and began the contest with an eye-opening 14-0 edge.

A jumper by Cornley, a bucket by Pringle and a three from Pringle capped the early burst. Purdue went over five minutes until its first basket, but Penn State maintained its 14-point edge, 31-17, on a three-point play by Battle.

The Boilermakers cut the deficit to six points several times in the first half, but Penn State still held a 41-33 lead at the half.

Moore's jumper cut the deficit to 46-45 early in the second half, and the Boilermakers took their first advantage of the game at 50-49 on Moore's bucket with 11:54 to go.

Purdue even held a 55-51 edge before Morrissey's three and Battle's free throw tied the contest at 55-55. The Boilermakers went approximately eight minutes without a field goal, and Penn State turned the 55-51 deficit into a 64-55 lead thanks to a friendly homecourt roll on Morrissey's three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining.

The Nittany Lions held on for the victory from there.

Game Notes

Penn State made just 38.7 percent of its shots, compared to 45.8 percent shooting from the Boilermakers...Purdue still leads the all-time series, 20-10...DeChellis, the head coach of the Nittany Lions, went to a zone defense for part of Purdue's shooting struggles in the second half.

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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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