SAN DIEGO — San Diego men's basketball (10-8, 0-3 WCC) is set to wrap up a two-game homestand this weekend against Pepperdine, hosting the Waves (8-10, 1-2 WCC) as West Coast Conference play continues in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Tip-off on Saturday afternoon is set for 7:00 p.m., and the action will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jack Cronin and Braden Surprenant on the call.

Live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS PEPPERDINE
• The Toreros are 51-66 against the Waves all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming last January 26, when San Diego beat Pepperdine by a 87-78 margin in Malibu.

• USD most recently hosted the Waves on January 13, 2023, when the Toreros earned a 92-89 victory at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• San Diego has won each of its last five games against Pepperdine dating back to January 10, 2022.

• Pepperdine last defeated USD on February 27, 2021, when it prevailed in a 90-84 decision at the JCP.

LAST TIME OUT - McKinney III Scores 19 in Loss to San Francisco
• Junior guard Wayne McKinney III scored a tied-for-game-high 19 points on Thursday night, but San Diego fell to San Francisco by an 83-63 margin as West Coast Conference play continued at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.  

• The Coronado High School graduate was 8-for-13 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc as he matched USF's leading scorer Jonathan Mogba, who also recorded 19 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists.  

• The Dons outscored the Toreros 50-20 in the paint as both junior center Steven Jamerson II and freshman forward Jimmy Oladokun Jr. got into foul trouble before Jamerson II fouled out.  

How It Happened:
• Jamerson II opened the scoring on a two-foot layup in the paint before San Francisco scored nine consecutive points. McKinney III ended that run with a six-foot floater.  

• During the first five minutes, the Dons shot 71% (5-of-7) from the floor, compared to USD's 43% (3-of-7) as USF opened with a 13-7 lead. 

• USF extended its lead into double digits before a couple of buckets by junior forward PJ Hayes, two Jamerson II free throws, and a jumper by McKinney III cut the deficit down to six, 32-26, with five minutes remaining in the first half. 

• The score remained at 34-26 for more than two minutes as both teams could not find the bucket heading into the final media timeout of the opening half. 

• Hayes scored five straight Torero points — including a stepback three from the corner —  to once again cut the Dons' lead back to six, 37-31, with 1:49 left. 

• USF went into the half up a dozen, 43-31, as a result of finishing the first 20 minutes on an 8-2 run. 
The Dons scored the first six points of the second half before McKinney III got USD on the board with a driving layup.

• Out of the first media timeout, McKinney III recorded his second steal of the night and found freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr, who drove ahead for a driving layup before making the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play.  

• That was part of a 10-3 run that cut the lead down to 10 with 13:39 left in the game as freshman guard Dragos Lungu recorded a layup in transition. 

• San Francisco then went on an 8-0 run to grow its lead back up to 18, prompting San Diego to call a timeout with 9:35 remaining in regulation. 

• The Toreros ended the Dons' run on a bucket by McKinney III that was followed by a three-pointer by Patton Jr. that saw him get fouled and complete the four-point play to cut the deficit back down to 12 with 7:46 left. 

• USD pulled back within single digits, 64-55, when Jamerson II recorded an offensive rebound and found McKinney III from beyond the arc with six minutes left in the game. 

Notable:
• Thursday night marked the second straight start for Patton Jr., who scored 16 points for a second consecutive contest as he recorded his seventh double-digit scoring performance of the season.

• Jamerson II, who totaled six points and five rebounds, fouled out for just the second time this season and for the first time since the Toreros faced Utah State in Logan (December 6). 

• McKinney III recorded double-digit points for a ninth consecutive game. He has now shot 50% or better in five of his last six games.

• Hayes scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting,including 3-of-9 from three-point range. He has now scored in double figures in six of his last eight games. 

• After scoring two points against San Francisco on Thursday, junior guard Deuce Turner is now just nine away from reaching 500 career points at the NCAA Division I level.

They Said It:
• Head coach Steve Lavin on how his team, primarily the younger players, have performed to begin WCC play:

"It's a crash course for our younger players. The margin for error is razor-thin in conference play, whether you're on the road or at home. I still really like the promise that this team possesses and has demonstrated with stretches of brilliant play."

• Junior guard Wayne McKinney III on how USD needs into improve as conference play continues:

"We just have to find a way to cut those (turnovers) down…they had a lot of easy buckets today. So if we take away those two (aspects for our opponents), I feel like we're gonna be just fine."

LEADING THE WAY
• A San Diego player has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring high in each of the Toreros' last five contests.

- December 29, 2023 vs. Fresno State: Deuce Turner, 25 points (game high)

- December 31, 2023 vs. Westcliff: PJ Hayes, 21 points (game high)

- January 4, 2024 vs. Saint Mary's: Deuce Turner, 34 points (game high)

- January 6, 2024 at No. 24 Gonzaga: Deuce Turner, 24 points (game high)

- January 11, 2024 vs. San Francisco: Wayne McKinney III, 19 points (tied for game high)

SUCCEEDING AT THE LINE
• San Diego's 90.9 free throw percentage (10-for-11) on Thursday night is a season-high against Division I competition (the Toreros shot 91.7% from the line against NAIA Westcliff on December 31), and marked a 37.1% improvement from last Saturday's 53.8% (7-for-13) free throw shooting performance at No. 24 Gonzaga.

THE DEUCE IS LOOSE
• Junior guard Deuce Turner's 58 total points in two games last week against Saint Mary's and No. 24 Gonzaga were the most of any player in the West Coast Conference in that span.

• He shot 57% from both the field (19-for-33) and beyond the arc (12-for-14) across a home matchup with the Gaels and a road contest in Spokane and made 12 of his 14 free throws.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 9-3 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion so far this season, and has notched home wins over Sonoma State, Jackson State, Le Moyne, Navy, Northern Colorado, Arizona State, Portland State, South Dakota, and Westcliff.

• USD's 8-0 start to its home schedule this year was its best since the 2018-2019 campaign, which saw the Toreros win each of their first nine home contests.

COMEBACK KIDS
• San Diego demonstrated considerable resilience during non-conference play, overcoming at least a five-point deficit in nine of its 10 victories so far this season.

USD has rallied for a win after trailing by double digits on five 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

• 12/21/23 vs. South Dakota (Trailed 26-12, won 69-66): 14-point deficit

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
• Depth has been a strength for USD this season, with head coach Steve Lavin utilizing nine different starting lineups and 14 different second-half starting lineups through 18 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 40th nationally with an average of 27.78 bench points per game.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on 10 occasions this season, with both lineups being the same in only eight 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.

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

YOUTH MOVEMENT
• San Diego's 2023-2024 roster features eight true freshmen and one Division II transfer.

• Of those eight first-year players, two have already been named the WCC Freshman of the Week: guards Kevin Patton Jr. and Dragos Lungu.

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

• In total, nine of the Toreros' 17 players have 17 games of Division I experience or less, and four have appeared in less than 15 college games.

• Junior Wayne McKinney III leads the USD roster with 78 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 59, Deven Dahlke with 51, Dominic Muncey with 31, Steven Jamerson II with 25, Bendji Pierre with 16, and Neel Beniwal with 13.

A SIGNATURE VICTORY
• The Toreros' win 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.

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.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Deuce Turner | Junior | Guard | Bucknell University
• Leads USD with 14.9 points per game and 254 total points this season; 35 made threes are second-most for Toreros

• Has recorded double-digit points in 13 of his first 17 games this season

• Scored 34 points (11-18 FG, 4-7 3P, 8-9 FT) on January 4 against Saint Mary's, which is the eighth-most in a single game in San Diego history and is the Toreros' most in a game since November 17, 2022, when graduate transfer Eric Williams Jr. scored 43 against Utah State and broke the previous USD record of 40 that dated back to 1972

• Had a game-high 24 points (8-15 FG, 4-7 3P, 4-5 FT) at No. 24 Gonzaga on January 6

• Also recorded 23 points on December 9 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

Wayne McKinney III | Junior | Guard | Coronado High School
• Leads USD in assists (51), steals (27), made free throws (71), and double-digit scoring performances (15)

• 250 total points and 14.7 points per game both rank second on San Diego roster and eighth in the WCC

• Sixty-two total rebounds are USD's fourth-most and his 51 defensive boards rank second for the Toreros

• Seventy-one of his 231 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 76% from the line this season

• Set a new career high with 22 points against Fresno State on December 29

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

PJ Hayes | Senior | Forward | Black Hills State University
• Thirty-seven made three-pointers this season and 2.18 three-pointers per game lead USD and rank fourth in the WCC

• Ranks third for the Toreros in total points (175) and points per game (10.3)

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

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

Kevin Patton Jr. | Freshman | Guard | Rancho Christian High School
• Leads the WCC and ranks 70th nationally with 25 blocks and 1.39 blocks per game so far this season

• Leads USD in both total rebounds (86) and defensive rebounds (68); ranks second in rebounds per game (4.8)

• Is averaging 9.0 points per game (ranks fourth on the USD roster) and has seven double-digit scoring performances so far in 2023

• Has scored 16 points in back-to-back games entering Saturday night's action (1/6/24 at No. 24 Gonzaga and 1/11/24 vs. San Francisco)

• 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

Steven Jamerson II | Junior | Center | Crespi Carmelite High School
• Missed USD's first seven games this season due to injury but already leads the Toreros in rebounds per game (7.5) through nine games played (eight starts)

• Leads USD with 34 offensive rebounds and has grabbed eight rebounds or more in seven of his last eight games, including four games with 10 rebounds and two with nine

• Totaled a career-high 13 points on January 6 at No. 24 Gonzaga and was one board shy of a double-double

• Leads San Diego in field goal percentage at 48.3% (minimum seven attempts) and is averaging 6.1 points per game

• Earned his first college double-double on December 15 against Portland State, notching 10 points while pulling in 10 rebounds

Jimmy Oladokun Jr. | Forward | Sierra Canyon High School
• Ranks second for the Toreros in field goal percentage so far this season, shooting 47.9% (minimum seven attempts)

• Thirty offensive rebounds rank second for USD and his 65 total boards (4.1 RPG) rank third

• Thirteen blocks in 2023-2024 season rank second among his teammates