San Diego (9-3) •
Washington State (7-3) •
Drake (8-2) •
New Mexico State (9-2)
Orleans Arena (7,471) • Las Vegas, Nev. • 7 p.m. PT
Television • FS1 |
Radio • Mighty 1090AM |
Live Statistics • USDToreros.com
Social • Twitter.com/USDMBB • Instagram.com/USDMBB
SAN DIEGO – San Diego will take on a pair of teams before Christmas as the Toreros travel to the Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena this weekend.
The Toreros (9-3) open the tournament Saturday at 7 p.m. PT against Washington State. The winner will take on the winner of Saturday's Drake and New Mexico State on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The losing teams of each game will play each other on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Both of USD's games will be televised on FS1 with Justin Kutcher and Jimmy Jackson on the call. The game will also be broadcast on Mighty 1090AM with Jack Cronin. Live statistics will be available via USDToreros.com.
LAST TIME OUT
• Five San Diego players scored in double-digits and the Toreros shot 57 percent from the field to earn an 85-65 victory against Northern Colorado on Saturday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
• The Toreros improved to 7-0 at home and were electric offensively, shooting 57 percent from the field and 57 percent from 3-point range.
Olin Carter III led the Toreros with 18 points, followed by
Isaiah Pineiro (17),
Tyler Williams (16),
Alex Floresca (12) and
Isaiah Wright (10).
• Pineiro registered his second double-double of the season with a team-high 10 rebounds.
• USD matched its offensive showing on the defensive end, holding a Northern Colorado team that entered the game averaging 93.9 points per game to their second-lowest total of the season at 65.
• USD's bench provided needed sparks throughout the game.
Andrew Ferguson entered the game late in the first half and produced five points in less than four minutes.
Joey Calcaterra played well on defense and produced a 4-0 run of his own late in the first half when he finished a layup, stole the ball on the Bears ensuing possession and finished another layup.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. WASHINGTON STATE
• USD is 1-2 all-time against Washington State and dropped the most recent meeting 93-56 on Nov. 28, 2009 at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to that meeting, the teams had not met since the 1974-75 season.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. DRAKE
• The Toreros are 1-1 all-time against Drake, playing a home-and-home series against the Bulldogs during the 1993-94 and 1994-94 seasons. USD won during 1993 at home, 96-80, while Drake won the 1994 contest 99-98.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NEW MEXICO STATE
• USD has played New Mexico State in each of the past two years and is 1-1 all-time against Aggies. The Toreros won last year's meeting 65-60 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
HOT STARTS FOR PINEIRO AND CARTER III
•
Isaiah Pineiro led the Toreros in scoring in seven-of-12 games and
Olin Carter III has led USD in four games.
• Pineiro is averaging 19.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Pineiro is shooting 53 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range.
• Carter III is averaging 16.2 points per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field. He has been one of USD's most dangerous shooter from behind the arc, connecting on 36 percent of his 3-point attempts. Carter III is also contributing 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
WRIGHT HEATING UP
• Wright started the season well but has excelled in the second half of the year so far. In the past seven games, he his shooting 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, and averaging 14.7 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
• Wright is contributing 12.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 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 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He holds a 3.5 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 21.6 minutes in the past five games. On the season, Floresca is averaging 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 20.0 minutes.
FINISHING STRONG
• USD has outscored opponents 496-416 during the second half this season. The Toreros are shooting 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range during second halves this season. They are holding opponents to 44 percent from the field and 30 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.
PAC-12 SCHEDULE
• The Toreros traveled to Washington on Nov. 12 (L, 66-63) and played host to Colorado on Nov. 20 (W, 70-64). USD traveled to Oregon on Dec. 12 (L, 65-55) and will take on Washington State on Dec. 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the Las Vegas Classic.
