Coco

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.

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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.

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