SAN DIEGO – San Diego shot 35% from the field and was outscored in the paint by 22 points as the Toreros lost the 2019 edition of the City Championship to SDSU, 66-49, on Wednesday at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
 
The Toreros (2-4) struggled to contain the inside presence of SDSU (4-0), which outscored USD 40-18 in the paint. Aztecs forward Yanni Wetzell scored 20 points, on 9-of-11 shooting, and hauled in 12 rebounds. Fellow starting forward Nathan Mensah, meanwhile, had 10 points (5-of-9 FG) and five rebounds.
 
Offensively, the Toreros struggled shooting for the second game in a row as they were 17-of-48 (35.4%) from the field. The cold night of shooting, which included only three three-pointers on 19 attempts (15.8%), resulted in them never leading during the rivalry game.
 
Noel Coleman and James Jean-Marie led the Toreros in scoring with 10 apiece. Coleman matched his career-high – set last Saturday at #25 Colorado – by coming off the bench and shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. Jean-Marie turned in his second career double-double, pacing the Toreros with 10 boards.
 
Alex Floresca was the only other Torero to have more than five points as the redshirt senior scored eight to go with three rebounds and a block.
 
The Toreros fell behind by double-digits halfway through the first, but keyed by a three-pointer from Coleman at the 8:53 mark, they eventually pulled within two at 19-17 with seven minutes remaining. The rally, powered by an 11-2 run and making four of five shots, was capped when Jared Rodriguez was blocked on a layup attempt, but the Toreros recovered with an offensive rebound and subsequent wide-open three-pointer by Rodriguez to make it a two-point game.
 
On the following possession, though, Mensah used a jumper from the left side to give the Aztecs breathing room and help them carry a 34-26 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half, the closest the Toreros could make it was 10 points as the Aztecs shot above 50% from the field for most of the half while USD shot 26.1%. Jean-Marie had eight of USD's 23 points in the final minutes, four of which came on free throws. A Coleman three-pointer pulled the Toreros within 11 at 43-32, but the Aztecs scored 15 of the next 17 points to open up a 20-plus point lead.
 
USD heads back on the road for its next game as it will face another ranked Pac-12 team for the second weekend in a row. The Toreros take on #25 Washington on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
 
 
NOTES
In the last two games, USD has shot a combined 35% from the field (36-of-103) and 22.2% from three (10-of-45).
 
After winning last year at San Diego State, the Toreros were aiming for their first back-to-back wins against the Aztecs since 2000 and 2001.
 
Jean-Marie has both of the Toreros' double-doubles this season. The junior has 10+ rebounds in three of the six games. He also has three 10-point games.
 
Coleman is 8-of-12 (66.7%) in field goals over the last two games, helping him average 10.0 points in 20.0 minutes per contest.
 
Finn Sullivan played a season-high 22 minutes, scoring 4 points (2-of-5 FG) and tallying two assists and a rebound.