By Andy Gardiner, USA TODAY  TAMPA  What began as a forgettable day for the West Coast Conference ended as a "dog day" afternoon when 13th seed San Diego knocked off No. 4 Connecticut 70-69 in overtime in Friday's opening round in the NCAA men's West Regional.  The Toreros' victory followed tournament losses by WCC members Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in other regionals, and joined No. 12 Western Kentucky's 101-99 upset of fifth seed Drake earlier in the day at the St. Pete Times Forum.  UConn lost in the first round for the first time in 15 appearances since 1990. San Diego won its first NCAA game in five tries. When the Toreros meet Western Kentucky in Sunday's second round it will be the first matchup of a 12th and 13th seed since Gonzaga played Indiana State in 2001.  San Diego won on De'Jon Jackson's pull up jumper from just inside the three-point arc on the right wing with 1.2 seconds remaining. It was only his second basket of the game and came with starters Brandon Johnson (18 points) and Gyno Pomare (22 points on 10 of 12 shooting) on the bench with five fouls. Johnson also was hobbled down the stretch by cramps.  "De'Jon is our glue and he's a winner," said first-year Torero coach Bill Grier. "I knew when the ball was in his hands at the end he was going to make a play."  Connecticut played without starting point guard and leading scorer A.J. Price (14.9 ppg), who left after nine minutes with a knee injury and did not return.  "He's the guy who I think makes them go; I think he's a future pro," Grier said. "But we didn't change anything (after he went out)."  San Diego led 34-29 at the half, pushed that margin to as many as 10 points, and then fell behind by a basket with 3:38 remaining. Tied at 60, Johnson's shot to win in regulation rolled off the rim.  Andre Dyson's two free throws gave UConn a 69-68 lead with nine seconds left. USD called time after advancing the ball to midcourt and then found Jackson on the in-bounds play with 5.2 seconds to play. He dribbled right from the top of the key and shot.  "I wanted the ball in De'Jon's hands," Grier said. "It was essentially a clear-out play and I was hoping he could get it to the rim. But their big guys were sitting in the lane so he went with the step-back."  The Toreros' shot 48% from the field against a UConn team that held opponents to 38%.  "We did play hard, but we didn't play defense," said Huskies coach Jim Calhoun. "Jackson made a great, great shot at the end. All credit to him and Coach Grier for managing the clock and the tempo. They played better, and they deserve this."  The Toreros' victory continued a run that began with the WCC tournament, which they won by beating Gonzaga in the final. San Diego (22-13) likely would not have made the NCAA field had it not won that title.  Conversation guidelines: USA TODAY welcomes your thoughts, stories and information related to this article. Please stay on topic and be respectful of others. Keep the conversation appropriate for interested readers across the map.
San Diego's Brandon Johnson, a 6-foot, play-making point guard, and Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3, shot-blocking center, shook hands at midcourt during pre-game introductions. It was the only time the Toreros looked overmatched Friday.