Toreros Upset UConn

WEST REGIONAL -------------

(13) SAN DIEGO 70, (4) CONNECTICUT 69 (OT) ----------------

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- De'Jon Jackson sank a jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting 13th-seeded San Diego to a 70-69 upset of No. 4 Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Jackson received the in-bounds pass with 5.2 seconds left, dribbled to the right wing and drained an 18-foot fadeaway shot over the outstretched arm of Connecticut's Stanley Robinson. Gyno Pomare scored 22 points to pace the Toreros (22-13), who won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in school history. San Diego will face 12th-seeded Western Kentucky in the second round Saturday.

Jeff Adrien had 18 points to lead the Huskies (24-9), who played the majority of the game without injured star point guard A.J. Price. Jerome Dyson added 14 points and made several key free throws down the stretch for the Huskies, who lost a first-round NCAA contest for the first time under Jim Calhoun.

UConn entered the game with a 14-0 first-round record under the longtime coach. But that streak was ended in shocking fashion by San Diego, the West Coast Conference champion which entered this event winless in its first three appearances. Brandon Johnson finished with 18 points for San Diego and drilled a jumper with 1:45 remaining in overtime to give the Toreros a 66-63 lead. The Huskies grabbed a 67-66 advantage 50 seconds later courtesy of a pair of layups sandwiched around a turnover by San Diego, which regained a one-point lead on Rob Jones' layup. However, Jones missed an opportunity to convert a three-point play - allowing UConn to take a 69-68 lead on Dyson's two free throws with nine seconds left. That proved to be plenty of time for Jackson, who propelled the Toreros to the biggest upset of the tournament so far by making just his second basket of the day.

A sophomore, Jackson finished with four points on just 2-of-11 shooting. San Diego could have won the game in regulation, but UConn erased a four-point deficit over a 35-second stretch to force overtime. Hasheem Thabeet and Adrien made layups on consecutive possessions, trimming the Huskies' deficit to 59-58 with 24 seconds left in regulation. Devin Ginty made 1-of-2 free throws just seven seconds later, pushing San Diego's lead to 60-58. But UConn tied the contest when Dyson made a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left.