BYU Rallies to Defeat Aztecs

San Diego State’s women’s basketball team played a strong first half but found it didn’t have enough ammunition to gun down Brigham Young, losing a Western Athletic Conference game, 84-76, in front of 976 at Peterson Gym Saturday.

The Aztecs, who led, 38-32, after shooting 53% from the field in the first half, not only cooled off in the second half, they got into foul trouble and got only two points from their substitutes. BYU shot a sizzling 69% from the floor in the second half and made 22 of 35 free throws.

The Cougars improved to 14-6, 6-1 in the WAC, while SDSU slipped to 13-7, 5-2.

Kieishsha Garnes (24 points), Falisha Wright (20) and Michelle Suman (18, 12 rebounds) accounted for 62 of SDSU’s points. Garnes was the only one of the three who avoided foul trouble, but she had to sit out seven minutes after she picked up her third foul early in the second half. Starting guard Michelle Miles fouled out and Christina Murguia (four fouls, two points) was the only reserve to score.

“BYU did an excellent job of coming from behind; that’s their strength,” Aztecs Coach Beth Burns said. “I had to call timeouts a lot quicker than I wanted to because they scored in bunches.”

The Cougars also went to a trapping and pressing scheme on defense and SDSU finished with 25 turnovers. The result, said Burns, was the Aztecs couldn’t stick with their game plan.

“They played frenzied and we had about four layups roll off the rim after we broke their press,” Burns said. “Then we didn’t get back in transition. I’ve got a young team. They didn’t answer the bell.”

UC San Diego established four school records en route to a 118-41 victory over Cal Lutheran at UCSD.

They were:

--Most points in a game. The old mark was 111 against USD in 1978.

--Most field goals (51). The previous record came in the same game against USD.

--Best field goal percentage (.567, 51 of 91). The former best of .545 was set against UC Santa Cruz in 1989.

--Most three-pointers (seven). The old mark, set earlier this season against Azusa Pacific, was eclipsed by one.

Five players finished in double figures for UCSD: Cari Young (21), Kathleen Alvarez (18), Lisa Beaver (18), Tricia Stilwell (11) and Alison Cartwright (10).

UCSD improved to 10-8. Cal Lutheran fell to 1-15.

Playing its second road game in two nights, the University of San Diego fell behind early and never recovered, losing a West Coast Conference game to Pepperdine, 89-65, in Malibu.

The Waves improved to 4-4 in the WCC and 12-9 overall, while USD fell to 2-5 and 7-12. USD trailed at halftime, 43-24, and never got closer.

Senior Lynda Jones, the only Torera to score double figures, had a career-high 26 points, giving her 48 points in the two weekend games. She made 11 of 18 shots and added a team-high seven rebounds. Leading scorer Jill Shaver was held to one point. USD has lost four of its last five.

Rochelle Lightner grabbed 20 rebounds and scored 15 points to lead Point Loma Nazarene to a 70-50 victory over Fresno Pacific at Fresno.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Fresno Pacific upended Point Loma Nazarene, 62-47, as PLNC shot only 36% from the field at Fresno.

BASEBALL

UCSD got 44 hits in its season-opening doubleheader and crushed host Pomona-Pitzer, 17-3 and 18-5.

Reserve shortstop David Valdez capped the opener with a grand slam in the seventh inning. He had five hits in the two games. David Blum had four hits in the opener, David Rex had four in the second. Steve Wrenn and Doran Yount, nephew of Milwaukee Brewer outfielder Robin Yount, had three hits each in the second game.

The Tritons, who host Sonoma State at noon Monday, are 2-0; Pomona Pitzer fell to 0-4.

Rick Navarro struck out six batters and San Diego State topped Cal Poly Pomona, 5-1, at Smith Field.

SDSU’s Tony Robertson went two for four, including a double, and drove in two runs. Teammate Greg Quam doubled in another run.

SDSU improved to 2-1, and Cal Poly Pomona fell to 1-2.

The Master’s College scored two runs without the benefit of a base hit to edge Point Loma Nazarene College, 2-1, in a game on the Point Loma campus.

Joe Pence, the first hitter in the game, got things going with a base on balls off pitcher Craig Van Hulzen. He moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a grounder and scored on another wild pitch.

In the fifth, Tony MacCaughtry reached first on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Two walks later he moved to third and eventually scored on an error when catcher Brian Marsh made the force out at the plate, but dropped the ball.

In the bottom half of the inning, Marsh got the Crusaders’ only RBI on a sacrifice to center that scored Rodney Williams from third.

Point Loma (1-3) mounted a threat in the bottom of the ninth, but with runners on first and third and one out, two pop flies ended it.

The Master’s improved to 2-2.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

Mary Bergen won the 100-yard backstroke and Tracy Schwieger scored a victory in the 500 freestyle as USD split a three-way meet with Northern Arizona and Cal State Los Angeles. The Toreras defeated CSULA, 46-26, but lost to NAU, 93-44.