SDSU struggled to withstand the ball pressure from Washington State, but the Jacks made their mark at the free throw line to defeat the Cougars, 63-58 at Frost Arena Sunday.

The Jacks had 22 turnovers and only made seven field goals in the second half. They countered that offensive struggle shooting 29 of 38 from the free throw line and made those count down the stretch in their first home win against a BCS school since beating Oregon in 2008.

“We definitely didn’t come out the way we wanted to offensively and I think once we got settled down and got into our flow, we just really focused,” senior Jill Young said.

Jennie Sunnarborg had 22 points for the Jackrabbits (3-1) and gave SDSU the lead for good when she hit a baseline jumper to break a 58-58 tie with 1:03 left in the game as the shot clock hit zero.

The Cougars (2-2) utilized a quick start to building an 11-point lead, which SDSU would rally from in taking a 36-29 halftime lead. SDSU’s attempt to get back in the game was aided by their performance at the free throw line, making 17 of 24 shots from the charity stripe in the first half alone.

SDSU plays Cincinnati on Thursday and Marist on Friday as part of the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico.

“It can really springboard your team. It’s a fun trip and fun environment and if you find a way to get a couple of wins against good teams, that can really help your team,” Johnston said.

Young joins 1,000 point club

Jill Young became the 30th SDSU player to reach the 1,000 point mark on a three-pointer in the first half. Young finished the game with 13 points.

“I feel honored to be a part of this program and I’ve played with some great players and a lot of credit goes out to my coaches and teammates,” Young said.

“Getting to 1000 speaks to not only her ability but it speaks to her work ethic and the commitment to the program and that’s what I like about the 1,000 point mark with Jill. She’s just been there every year,” SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said.