Jazmine Jackson, Pepperdine’s sophomore guard, reminds one of the Aztecs’ preseason All-American senior Jene Morris.
Both athletic, quick, strong, driven and 5-foot-9. Both wear No. 5. Both from the same neighborhood (or at least the same Bay — Jackson from Oakland, Morris from San Francisco).
In a tense, overtime non-conference contest Tuesday night at Viejas Arena, Jackson one-upped her more experienced lookalike, hitting a tough, 12-foot jumper under double-team pressure with less than a second left to give Pepperdine a surprise 62-61 victory.
Just moment earlier, Morris had seemed to rescue the Aztecs with a 3-pointer from the right wing, putting SDSU into a temporary one-point advantage.
In the end, however, it was a heart-breaking loss for an Aztec team that may break a few hearts before this season is over. Trumpeted as one of the finest teams on the West Coast coming off a 24-8 season and an NCAA Tournament victory a year ago, SDSU has now lost four of its last five games to fall to 4-4 on the season.
A season of promise is becoming a season of concern. Against Pepperdine, the Aztecs missed at least a dozen open layups, threw away back-to-back inbound passes resulting in five free Pepperdine points in the final four minutes, and blew five straight free throws down the stretch and in overtime.
Pepperdine (6-4) took advantage with a young, upcoming team that starts four sophomores. Despite letting an 11-point, early-second-half lead slip away, the Waves were the team that made the key plays in the clutch, not the Aztecs, who with three All-Conference players returning this season, were supposed to be the ones who wouldn’t crack under pressure.
“We’re still trying to figure out what’s going to work best with this team,” Aztec Coach Beth Burns said. “We’re trying to work some different people in, and we’re trying to overcome some injuries. So far we haven’t found the answer.”
Junior guard Coco Davis was the latest Aztec to sit out Tuesday, with knee swelling. In a season that is barely a month old, SDSU has already lost two other guards — freshman Kiyana Stamps and junior Gabrielle Clark — to season-ending knee injuries.
Davis will hopefully return in time for State’s next game, Friday night at home against Long Beach State. But what needs to return even more is the confidence and swagger this year’s Aztec club began the season with.
Led by Morris, senior guard Quenese Davis, and All-Conference center junior Paris Johnson, SDSU rolled to three easy wins to open the season and earned a No. 23 national ranking.
But after three less-than-stellar performances — all losses – two weeks ago in the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and now a loss to a young Pepperdine team picked no higher than third in preseason WCC polls, SDSU is in search of answers.
The loss to the Waves snapped the Aztecs’ 18-game regular-season home winning streak.
“We’ll go back to practice and keep trying to work things through,” Burns said. “But it’s hard for us to practice the way we want to right now because of the injuries.”
The problem lies in the fact that Stamps, Clark and (now) Coco Davis all play the same position — two guard. Without any of the three available, Burns is having to play her two star seniors, Quenese Davis and Morris, far too many minutes.
Both played all 40 minutes last Friday in a hard-fought 66-59 victory over UC Riverside. They played 38 and 37 minutes, respectively, Tuesday night.
Nevertheless, Morris was still able to nearly save SDSU. With the scored tied, 52-52, in the final minute of regulation, she came up with a loose ball under the hoop and as she was being knocked backward floated the ball into the basket for a 54-52 lead.
But she missed the free throw that could have provided a three-point lead and left the door open. Pepperdine’s Katie Menton tied the game with a driving layup to force overtime.
Down 60-56 in the extra session, Morris made two more key plays, one a driving assist to Paris Johnson for a basket followed by her three-pointer that put the Aztecs ahead, 61-60.
However, with time running out, Jackson went one-on-one against Morris, drove the right side of the lane, pulled up, turned into a double-team in the paint, and still made the game-winner.
– Ello –
