San Diego (8-3)
Northern Colorado (6-1)
Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,100)  •  San Diego, Calif.7 p.m. PT
Live Stream  •  TheW.tv  |  Radio  •  ESPN 1700AM  |  Live Statistics  •  USDToreros.com
Social  •  Twitter.com/USDMBB  •  Instagram.com/USDMBB

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SAN DIEGO – San Diego will look to remain unbeaten at home and avenge last year's CIT quarterfinal defeat when it plays host to Northern Colorado on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
 
The Toreros (8-3) will try to bounce back after a 65-55 loss at Oregon on Wednesday. The Bears (6-1) enter the matchup on a three-game winning streak and are coming off a 118-52 victory against Johnson and Wales.
 
The game will be streamed on TheW.tv and broadcast on ESPN 1700AM with Jack Cronin on the call. Live statistics will be available via USDToreros.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• San Diego was undone by a season-high 16 turnovers and a poor shooting night as the Toreros fell 65-55 at Oregon on Wednesday night in Matthew Knight Arena.
 
• After a strong first 16 minutes, it became a tough night all around for USD (8-3) which was held to a season-low 55 points. The Toreros registered their worst 3-point percentage of the season (25 percent) and their second-lowest shooting percentage from the field (41 percent).
 
• USD committed just one turnover in the first 16:02 of the game but unraveled in the final four minutes of the first half, turning the ball over six times. With the Toreros holding their largest lead of the game, 29-20, with 4:31 to play in the first half, the six turnovers led to an 11-3 run by the Ducks (6-3) that cut USD's lead to one by halftime, 32-31.
 
• The trend continued in the second half as the Toreros committed nine more turnovers.
 
• Oregon capitalized and outscored USD 34-23 in the second half. The Toreros 23 points is their fewest in a second half this season. USD entered the night averaging 42.7 points in second halves.
 
• The Toreros battled through foul trouble throughout the night and were whistled for 22 fouls – the second-most fouls this season. Foul issues became even tighter down the stretch as Isiaiah Pineiro, Isaiah Wright and Alex Floresca each had four fouls with 7:57 remaining in the game.
 
•  Pineiro led USD with 14 points, followed by Olin Carter III (12) and Tyler Williams (11). Wright orchestrated a majority of the offense with a team-high five assists.
 
•  Pineiro was a rebound shy of a double-double with a team-high nine. Williams and Floresca had eight apiece – a career high for Floresca.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NORTHERN COLORADO
• USD is 1-2 all-time against Northern Colorado and dropped the most recent meeting 86-75 during last year's CIT quarterfinal matchup in the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The previous two meetings occurred when the Toreros were a Division-II team in 1976 and 1977.
 
HOT STARTS FOR PINEIRO AND CARTER III
• Isaiah Pineiro led the Toreros in scoring in seven-of-11 games and Olin Carter III has led USD in three games.
 
•  Pineiro is averaging 20.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Pineiro is shooting 54 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range.
 
• Carter III is averaging 16.0 points per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field. He has been one of USD's most dangerous shooter from behind the arc, connecting on 35 percent of his 3-point attempts. Carter III is also contributing 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
 
WRIGHT HEATING UP
• Wright started the season well but has excelled in the second half of the season so far. In the past six games, he his shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, and averaging 15.5 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
 
• Wright is contributing 12.5 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game on the season.
 
NUMBERS UP FOR MASSALSKI
•  Yauhen Massalski increased nearly every offensive and defensive numbers through the first six games this season. He was averaging 8.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and is shooting 70 percent from the field. (2017-18 » 4.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 65 FG pct.)
 
•  Massalski was limited to three minutes of playing time in the Toreros seventh game of the season at Ole Miss due to injury. He returned to action Dec. 12 at Oregon when he came off the bench and played 16 minutes.
 
BALANCED PLAY BY WILLIAMS
• Tyler Williams does a little of everything for the Toreros on both sides of the floor. He is averaging 8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He holds a 3.7 assists to turnover ratio.
 
EFFICIENCY IS KEY FOR FLORESCA
• Through the first six games of the season, Alex Floresca was one of the Toreros most efficient players. He was averaging 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game. He shot 71 percent (15-of-21) from the field and was 3-of-5 (60 percent) from behind the arc.
 
• His minutes significantly increased with the injury to Massalski and has averaged 24.8 minutes in the past four games. On the season, Floresca is averaging 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 20.0 minutes.
 
FINISHING STRONG
• USD has outscored opponents 450-379 during the second half this season. The Toreros are shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range during second halves this season. They are holding opponents to 44 percent from the field and 29 percent from behind the arc.
 
NARROW DEFEATS ON THE ROAD
• All three losses this year have come on the road by 10 points or less. USD's first two losses this year were by a combined 10 points, dropping a 66-63 decision at Washington and falling 93-86 at Ole Miss. The Toreros lost 65-55 on the road at Oregon.