SAN DIEGO — San Diego men's basketball was short-handed on Friday night but hung tough to earn a gritty 69-65 victory over Portland State, taking down the Vikings to remain undefeated at home in the Jenny Craig Pavilion this season.

The Toreros (8-4, 0-0 WCC) led by as many as 15 in the first half before Portland State (8-3, 0-0 Big Sky), rallied to make it a two-point, 34-32 game at the intermission. The Vikings briefly led late in the second half and fought back to tie the score at 62-62 with two minutes remaining, but key baskets down the stretch from juniors Wayne McKinney III (guard) and Steven Jamerson II (center) kept San Diego in front and earned USD its seventh straight home victory. 

McKinney III paced the Torero offense with yet another double-digit performance, scoring 21 points alongside six rebounds and five assists.

Jamerson II notched 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to earn his first college double-double.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Portland State took control early on Friday night by opening the game with five unanswered points, but San Diego recovered quickly with a putback from Jamerson II, making it 5-4 Vikings ahead of the under-16 media break.
• USD maintained its lead throughout the first half with a pair of double-digit scoring runs. After a flurry of threes from junior guard Deuce Turner, San Diego led by a 15-point, 26-11 margin with eight minutes left in the first period.
• The Vikings finished the half with a 14-0 run of their own, sending USD into the break with a two-point, 34-32 advantage. 
• Freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr helped the Toreros find their footing as the second half got underway, draining a clutch three with 13:53 remaining to make it a 10-point, 48-38 game in San Diego's favor.
• Two made free throws from Viking guard Ismail Habib allowed Portland State to capitalize on yet another 12-0 run as the half progressed, tying the game at 50 points apiece with just under 10 minutes left.
• The deadlock intensified as the clock wound down, with both teams battling back-and-forth enroute to a 59-59 tie inside of six minutes. 
• McKinney III came up clutch in the game's final minute, turning a spin-move into a well-timed jumper to give San Diego a three point lead before assisting Jamerson II on a slam dunk on the ensuing possession to make it a four-point game. 
• Portland State made a layup with 32 seconds remaining to pull within two at 67-65, but Turner drilled a pair of clutch free throws in the game's final seconds to seal the victory for USD.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Patton Jr. totaled 14 points and five rebounds alongside three blocks and a steal, marking his fifth double-digit scoring performance of the season. 
• Turner was just behind with 13 points of his own, making three of his seven shots from beyond the arc to go with six rebounds.
• Freshman forward David Simon recorded a career-high seven points and made his first career three. 
• McKinney III made nine of his 11 free throws against Portland State. He has now scored in double-digits in 10 of the Toreros' 12 games so far this season.
• Jamerson II has now scored 10 points in back-to-back games, marking the first two double-digit scoring performances of his San Diego career.
• USD claimed a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint on Friday night and limited the Vikings to shooting just 33% from the field.

UP NEXT
The Toreros will continue their homestand next week by hosting South Dakota. Tip-off against the Coyotes on Thursday night in the Jenny Craig Pavilion is set for 7:00 p.m.