It’s a bit early, of course, to crown champions in college basketball. But in their home opener Tuesday night against cross-town rival USD, the San Diego State women’s basketball gave a glimpse of what they’re capable of.
Dominating the Toreros in every single category, the Aztecs rolled to a 79-52 victory that wasn’t nearly as close as the final margin indicated. SDSU led 45-19 at halftime and by as many as 35 points midway through the second half.
You want dominance on the inside? Check. SDSU out-rebounded USD 22-6 in the first half and finished with more offensive rebounds (21) than the Toreros had total rebounds (15).
Junior transfer Jessika Bradley used her 6-foot-3 frame to clear out plenty of space underneath and finished with a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds).
You want excellence from he perimeter? Check. Led by guard Jerica Williams off the bench, the Aztecs connected on 7-of-10 3-point shots in the game. Williams was 3-for-3 from distance and guard Coco Davis hit on 2-for-2.
Looking for disruption on defense? Check. Senior guards Jene Morris and Quenese Davis harassed USD all night, each getting four steals, and helping to force 21 USD turnovers. SDSU scored 29 points off the the mistakes they constantly created.
Speed, athleticism, size, strength. Check. Check. Check. Check.
“We do have a lot of different ways we can be successful,” said Aztecs coach Beth Burns, whose team avenged a 63-60 loss to USD last season. “We ran our offense better and we turned defense into offense with our pressure.”
USD actually shot fairly well, recording a 48-percent mark from the field. Sophomore guard Dominique Conners (La Jolla Country Day HS), in fact, led all scorers with 16 points. But the Toreros had trouble getting shots.
With Morris and Davis getting a hand on what seemed like every single pass, USD’s offense was never allowed to get into a rhythm.
At the other end the Aztecs were able to get pretty much whatever they wanted. Bradley was joined in the paint by center Paris Johnson, who nevertheless had a quiet night by her standards (7 points, 3 rebounds). Junior forward Allison Duffy turned her second consecutive solid game (after missing all of the last season) with 13 points, this coming on the heels of her 11 points (5-for-6 shooting) in last Friday night’s opener at UC Irvine.
Morris, the preseason All-American candidate, tied Bradley for team-high honors with 14 points, and Williams was the fourth Aztec in double-digits with 13.
Now 2-0 — with victories by 24 and now 27 points — Burns’ team will get a better idea of how well they fit in with some the nation’s elite teams and conferences over the next 10 days.
SDSU hosts Arizona from Pac-10 on Saturday (6:30 p.m.) before heading to the U.S. Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving weekend to meet fourth-ranked Notre Dame and 13th-ranked Oklahoma.
“They’re good,” said a USD fan watching from courtside. “Real good.”
But just how good remains to be seen.
– Ello –
