SDSU Reaches Final : Basketball: The Aztecs took advantage of smaller Niagara, 78-67, and will play Villanova tonight for the Texaco Star tournament title.

A potion to heal a gravely ill shooting attack was discovered Wednesday night by the San Diego State basketball team, if only for one night.

The secret is simply this: Play a game against a noticeably smaller opponent. That way, you can get a few high-percentage shots inside. And if you work hard enough, you can get a stat-sheet full of inside shots.

The Aztecs (7-4) bullied tiny Niagara, 78-67, in an opening-round game of the Texaco Star tournament in front of 4,889 in the San Diego Sports Arena.

The victory moved the Aztecs into tonight’s championship at 9 against Villanova, which defeated Clemson, 73-71, in the opening game Wednesday. Clemson and Niagara will play for third tonight at 6:30.

Aside from sophomore center Sean Schiano, who is 6-feet-11, Niagara (1-8) doesn’t start anyone taller than 6-6. On their 12-man roster, the Purple Eagles have just one other player as tall as 6-7 and just two who are 6-6.

Time after time, the Aztecs got the ball inside to forward Shawn Jamison (6-8), and it paid off. Jamison dazzled Niagara with an array of twisting, turning, knife-through-traffic shots and finished with a season-high 28 points. Forward Patrick Jones led Niagara with 28.

Jamison made 10 of 11 field goal attempts, which helped SDSU shoot a season-high 58.5%. The Aztecs’ previous season-best was 53% against Chaminade in the Maui Classic, but they were shooting a paltry 43% from the field entering the Niagara game.

SDSU parlayed a three-point halftime lead into an advantage as high as 16 at 13 minutes into the second half. That came just after a streak in which the Aztecs made eight of nine field goals, capped by a thundering Jamison dunk to make it 53-40. The Aztecs started the second half by outscoring Niagara, 16-6.

SDSU shot well from the free throw line as well, making 27 of 34 attempts. Niagara made 21 of 23 (91%).

San Diego State led, 33-30, after a hot-and-cold first half.

Jamison, the only Aztec to score in double figures in each game, scored SDSU’s first nine points. Trouble was, his three-point play with 14:37 left in the first half--his seventh, eighth and ninth points--only tied it at 9-9.

Eventually, the Aztecs went ahead, 18-17, but Niagara made six consecutive field goals and took a 30-25 lead.

Five baskets were scored Jones, a 6-6 senior who heated up midway through the first half and scored 13 consecutive points for Niagara. Jones matched his per-game average by halftime with 17 points.

Jamison had 13 in the half, during which the Aztecs shot 48% (12 of 25) from the field, better than their season average of 43%. One reason was that they were able to get the ball inside often against Niagara. Of their 12 first-half field goals, just two were from more than five feet out.

Not only were the Aztecs taller, they were also quicker. SDSU had seven steals in the first half, Niagara none.

SDSU also stole a point--from itself. With 3:08 left until halftime, Jamison made an inside shot, and the officials called a foul. Michael Best, though, stepped to the line and made a free throw, apparently cutting Niagara’s lead to 30-28--and that’s where the controversy started. SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg argued--correctly--that the wrong player had gone to the line. He thought the foul was called away from the ball and was hoping for a one-and-one opportunity rather than just one free throw. The officials erased Best’s free throw, sent Jamison to the line--and only gave him one shot. He missed, leaving the score at 30-27.

So tonight, SDSU will meet Villanova for the second time this season. The Aztecs lost a season-opening game to the Wildcats, 66-58, in the Maui Classic after trailing by just one at halftime. They had led, 24-17, with 6:25 to play in the half before Villanova scored 14 of the game’s next 16 points.

Villanova (7-5) won the first game with a stingy defense and accurate free throws. It wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Clemson (6-2) never led in the second half.

The Wildcats made 34 of 37 free throws compared with Clemson’s 13 of 24. The 34 free throws made are a tournament record.

Villanova shot just 39% (18 for 46) and had 26 turnovers to Clemson’s 16. But the 21-point difference at the line and Villanova’s nine-rebound advantage (42 to 33) were too much for Clemson.

“I thought we played very well,” Villanova Coach Rollie Massimino said. “Clemson is a good basketball team. I thought our defense was terrific. And our young kids hung in there at the end.”

Just two seniors are back from last season’s 18-16 team. Three of Villanova’s top four scorers Wednesday night were sophomores--guards Chris Walker (14 points) and Greg Woodard (12) and forward Marc Dowdell (10). Tom Greis, Villanova’s 7-3 senior center, had 12 points and three rebounds.

As for the Villanova defense, Massimino had the Wildcats trap more than usual, and it paid off. They held Clemson to 41% (27 for 55) from the field, the 11th time in 12 games Villanova has held its opponent to less than 48%.

Clemson center Elden Campbell managed 16 points and eight rebounds.