SAN DIEGO — A career-high 20 points from freshman Dragos Lungu on Wednesday night headlined a well-rounded performance for San Diego men's basketball, leading the Toreros (2-0, 0-0 WCC) past Jackson State (0-2, 0-0 SWAC) by a 87-61 margin at the Jenny Craig Pavilion as they earned a second consecutive victory to begin the 2023-2024 season.

USD trailed by four at the break but out-scored the Tigers 52-22 in the second half, holding JSU to just one three-pointer in the period after allowing six in the opening frame.

Lungu was 6-for-9 from the field and made seven of his eight free throws. His big performance was complemented by junior Wayne McKinney III, who recorded 16 points of his own while dishing out a team-high five assists and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Transfer PJ Hayes added 14 points and was 8-for-8 from the line.

Freshman Joey Chammaa checked into the game late and put the finishing touches on the Toreros' Wednesday night victory by going a perfect 3-for-3 from the arc as he scored a remarkable nine points in just 2:29.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• San Diego got off to a quick start against Jackson State, utilizing multiple triples from Hayes and Lungu to earn a slight edge at the 15 minute mark of the first half. 
• The Tigers answered by going on a run of their own that was highlighted by a well-timed and-one, making the game 25-18 in their favor with 10 minutes to play in the period.
• While both teams continued to battle in the first half, Lungu continued to shine for the Toreros, showcasing his ability to finish through contact at the rim by notching a tough contested layup to pull USD back within one at 25-24.
• McKinney III completed the comeback with two minutes to go in the half, nailing an impressive three to tie the game up at 33-33.
• JSU found its footing and finished Wednesday night's first frame with a flurry of points, sending the Toreros to the break trailing 39-35.
• USD went down by as many as seven early in the second half before storming back to tie it with a burst of points from freshman Kevin Patton Jr. and Lungu and a pair of clutch free throws from Hayes that knotted the score at 44-44.
• Lungu gave the Toreros the lead back at 46-44 with a layup, then Patton Jr. made it a five-point, 49-44 lead with a corner three.
• The San Diego defense stood firm as the half went on, keeping the Tigers scoreless for three-plus minutes as the Torero led swelled to six.
• USD continued its fast-paced play out of the under-12 media timeout, getting multiple fast-break points — including a transition three from junior guard Deuce Turner — that forced Jackson State to take a timeout of its own at the 11-minute mark while trailing 58-46.
• Patton Jr. showed off his playmaking skills as the half wound down, dishing out multiple impressive assists — including a pass that set up freshman forward Jimmy Oladokun Jr. for an easy layup.
• San Diego secured the dominant 26-point win after freshman guard Joey Chammaa entered the game and drained a trio of three-pointers, sending the USD bench into a frenzy before time expired and the Toreros prevailed by a 87-61 margin.

TORERO TIDBITS

• McKinney III's big night (16 points, 10 rebounds) marked the Toreros' first double-double of the season.
• Patton Jr. was one point shy of a double-double of his own, contributing nine points while grabbing 10 defensive rebounds.
• Freshman Keyon Kensie added eight points and made three of his four free throws.
• San Diego out-rebounded Jackson State 48-35.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action this weekend, when they travel to La Jolla to take on UC San Diego for a crosstown matchup that will mark their first road game of the 2023-2024 season. Tip-off at LionTree Arena on Saturday night is set for 7:00 p.m.