SAN DIEGO — After winning its seventh consecutive home game last week to remain undefeated at the Jenny Craig Pavilion this season, San Diego men's basketball (8-4, 0-0 WCC) is set to continue its holiday homestand on Thursday night, hosting South Dakota (7-5, 0-0 Summit League) to continue non-conference play.

Tip-off against the Coyotes is set for 7:02 p.m. Thursday night's contest will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jack Cronin and Braden Surprenant on the call.

Live statistics for all San Diego home games in 2023-2024 will be available on USDToreros.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SOUTH DAKOTA
• Thursday night will mark the first-ever matchup between the Toreros and Coyotes on the hardwood.

LAST TIME OUT - McKinney III, Jamerson II Lead Resilient Win Over Portland State
• San Diego was short-handed last 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 led by as many as 15 in the first half before Portland State 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.

Notable:
• 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.

Kevin Patton Jr. Named WCC Freshman of the Week
• After helping San Diego earn a big win over Portland State on Friday, Kevin Patton Jr. has been named the WCC Freshman of the Week for December 18, the West Coast Conference announced on Monday morning.

• The guard accumulated 14 points against the Vikings while making five of his seven shots from the field and converting both of his three-point attempts. He added five rebounds, two blocks, two assists and a steal in the victory, which marked the seventh consecutive time the Toreros have prevailed at home this season.

• Patton Jr.'s selection marks the first conference award for USD this season.

A SIGNATURE VICTORY
• The Toreros' victory over Arizona State on December 9th marks the first time San Diego has taken down a Pac-12 or power-five opponent since November 21st, 2018, when it beat Colorado in Boulder by a 70-64 margin.

COMEBACK KIDS
• San Diego has demonstrated considerable resilience early this season, overcoming at least a five-point deficit in all eight of its victories so far this season.

USD has rallied for a win after trailing by double digits on four occasions this year:

• 11/6/23 vs. Sonoma State (Trailed 25-6, won 68-64): 19-point deficit

• 11/17/23 vs. Le Moyne (Trailed 10-0, won 80-71): 10-point deficit

• 11/24/23 vs. Arkansas State (Trailed 52-36, won 71-57): 16-point deficit

• 12/9/23 vs. Arizona State (Trailed 23-11, won 89-84): 12-point deficit

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
• Friday evening's win over Portland State marked the Toreros' seventh straight home victory, giving them a perfect 7-0 record in the Jenny Craig Pavilion this season.

• Home wins for USD so far this year include Sonoma State, Jackson State, Le Moyne, Navy, Northern Colorado, Arizona State, and Portland State.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
• Depth has been a strength for USD this season, with head coach Steve Lavin utilizing six different starting lineups and 10 different second-half starting lineups through 12 games.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on eight occasions this season, with both lineups being the same in only four games so far.

• Of the 13 players who have seen minutes for USD this season, 10 have found themselves in a first or second-half starting lineup.

• Nine different Toreros have accumulated over 100 total minutes in the 2023-2024 campaign, with 10 players averaging 10 or more minutes per game, seven averaging 15 or more, and six averaging 20 or more minutes per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kevin Patton Jr. | Freshman | Guard | Rancho Christian High School
• Leads USD in total rebounds (63), and blocks (14), and ranks second in rebounds per game (5.3)

• Is averaging 8.8 points per game and has five double-digit scoring performances so far in 2023

• Was named WCC Freshman of the Week for December 18, after accumulating 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and a steal in San Diego's victory over Portland State on Friday

Wayne McKinney III | Junior | Guard | Coronado High School
• Leads USD in assists (37), steals (19), and made free throws (62)

• Ranks second on the Toreros in points per game at 13.9

• Sixty-two of his 167 total points so far in 2023 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 80% from the line

• Spent the last three seasons at USD after graduating from nearby Coronado High School

PJ Hayes | Senior | Forward | Black Hills State University
• Ranks second for USD with 21 made three-pointers this season

• Ranks fourth for the Toreros in total points (102), and second in points per game (9.3)

• Recorded a career-high in points (23) on December 9th against Arizona State, making five threes to propel San Diego past the Sun Devils.

• Transferred to USD this season from Division II Black Hills State University in South Dakota

Steven Jamerson II | Junior | Center | Crespi Carmelite High School
• Has seen periodically increased minutes after returning from a preseason injury, and already leads USD in rebounds per game (6.0) through five games played

• Leads the Toreros in field goal percentage (52%) and ranks sixth in points per game (6.0)

• Earned his first college double-double on Friday night against Portland State, notching 10 points while pulling in 10 rebounds

Deuce Turner | Junior | Guard | Bucknell University
• Is San Diego's leading scorer despite coming off the bench, averaging 14.1 points per game and 169 total points so far in 2023-2024

• Twenty-four made three-pointers (.375) leads USD

• Has recorded double-digit points in 10 of the Toreros' first 12 games this season

• Also recorded a career high in points (23) against Arizona State, and was pivotal in the Toreros' win over the Sun Devils

• Transferred to USD in 2022 from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania after spending time at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas

Jimmy Oladokun Jr. | Forward | Sierra Canyon High School
• Ranks second for the Toreros in field goal percentage, shooting 50% so far this season (minimum seven attempts)

• Eighteen offensive rebounds leads USD and his 47 total boards (4.3 RPG) ranks third

• Seven blocks in 2023 ranks third amongst his teammates

YOUTH MOVEMENT
• Six San Diego freshmen (Dragos Lungu, Kevin Patton Jr., Jimmy Oladokun Jr., Keyon Kensie, Santiago Trouet, and Joey Chammaa) made their college debut on November 6th, joined by transfer PJ Hayes, who appeared in his first game as a Torero after spending three seasons at Division II Black Hills State in South Dakota.

• In total, eight of the Toreros' 17 players have 12 games of Division I experience or less.

• Junior Wayne McKinney III leads the USD roster with 73 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 53, Deven Dahlke with 44, Dominic Muncey with 24, Steven Jamerson II with 18, Bendji Pierre with 15, and Neel Beniwal with 12.

YEAR TWO OF THE LAVIN ERA
• 2023-2024 marks head coach Steve Lavin's second season at the helm in San Diego after being hired in April of 2022.

• In 12 full seasons as a head coach, Lavin has accumulated a record of 248-171 (.591) with 10 postseason appearances.

• Prior to arriving at USD, he guided UCLA and St. John's to eight NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 years.

• A staple in college basketball for over three decades, Lavin is the 14th head coach in program history and the Toreros' seventh head coach since USD moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1979-80.

• Most recently, Lavin served as a national college basketball broadcaster for Fox Sports and CBS Sports. He previously worked with ESPN, ABC, and the Pac-12 Network.