Aztecs’ First Impression Bad : College basketball: Ex-Pepperdine player and assistant Tony Fuller loses badly in coaching return against the Waves.

San Diego State Coach Tony Fuller, a former player and assistant at Pepperdine, was hoping to make an impression Saturday night in his return to Malibu.

This wasn’t what he had in mind.

After a slow start, Pepperdine rolled to an 89-61 nonconference victory over the Aztecs before 2,213 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

It was not the most artistic outing for the Waves (3-0), who committed 15 turnovers and were called for 25 fouls. But the result was the same as in their first two games.

“I thought they played harder than us in the first half,” Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. “In the second half, we just turned it up a notch.”

Behind forward Derric Croft, the Aztecs (2-1) stayed with Pepperdine in the early going and the score was tied seven times in the first half.

Pepperdine finally went ahead to stay, 30-29, on a free throw by forward Derek Noether with 4:06 left in the half.

But the turning point may have come when Noether missed his second attempt and point guard Bryan Parker followed it with a spectacular one-handed dunk.

“We were still in it at that point, but that’s what really started to turn the tide,” Fuller said.

The Waves led, 42-33, by halftime and it only got worse for San Diego State afterward.

Pepperdine was led in the first half by center Gavin Vanderputten, who had 11 points and finished with a career-high 15.

The Waves were led as usual by forward Dana Jones with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

San Diego State committed 17 turnovers, made only 28.6% of its shots and was outrebounded, 53-33.

Fuller said his team’s problems started when center Marc Carter, the Aztecs’ second-leading scorer and top rebounder, got into early foul trouble. Carter fouled out midway through the second half with only five points and two rebounds.

“It’s not a good homecoming for me, but I don’t think we’re that bad,” he said. “Pepperdine’s just a very good basketball team.”