SAN DIEGO — San Diego men's basketball (10-9, 0-4 WCC) will remain at home this weekend to take on Gonzaga, hosting the Bulldogs (12-5, 3-1 WCC) as West Coast Conference play continues in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Tip-off on Saturday night is set for 7:00 p.m., and the action will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jack Cronin (Play-By-Play) and Braden Surprenant (Analyst) on the call. Live statistics will be available on USDToreros.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. GONZAGA
• The Toreros are 21-80 against the Zags all-time, with the two programs' most recent meeting coming back on January 6, when San Diego dropped a 101-74 decision in Spokane to the then 24th-ranked Bulldogs

• Junior guard Deuce Turner totaled a game-high 24 points that night at the McCarthey Athletic Center, followed by 16 from freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. and a career-high 12 from junior center Steven Jamerson II, who was one rebound shy of a double-double.

• USD last defeated Gonzaga on January 22, 2014, earning a 69-66 win over the Bulldogs at the Jenny Craig Pavilion behind 16 points from its all-time leading scorer, Johnny Dee. 

THURSDAY NIGHT MATCHUP AT PORTLAND POSTPONED
• San Diego's game at Portland on Thursday (January 18) has been postponed due to travel difficulties for the Toreros associated with inclement weather in the Pacific Northwest, the West Coast Conference announced on Wednesday night.

• The two teams will now play at the Chiles Center on Tuesday, January 23 at 6:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT - Late Lead Slips Away in Tough Loss to Pepperdine
• Despite having five players score in double figures after holding a 15-point lead midway through the first half, San Diego was unable to hang on against Pepperdine on Saturday night, dropping a 83-77 decision to the Waves as West Coast Conference play continued at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• It was a tale of two halves for the Toreros, who scored 48 points in the opening period before allowing the Waves to match that in the game's final 20 minutes. 

• USD dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Waves 30-8 before losing the paint battle by a 20-10 margin in the final 20 minutes. Overall, Pepperdine outscored USD in fastbreak scoring, 25-9.  

• USD was held scoreless for more than six minutes during the game's final seven minutes, which saw the Waves make a 17-0 run that led to the contest's only tie and lead change. 

• Freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. led the way for USD on offense with 16 points. Junior guard Wayne McKinney III scored 13, followed by senior guard Deven Dahlke and junior forward PJ Hayes with 11, and freshman forward Jimmy Oladokun Jr. with 10. 

How It Happened:
• McKinney III opened the scoring with a steal and a fastbreak layup and Oladokun Jr. added on with a bucket before Pepperdine could get on the board.

• Going into the first media timeout, USD held a 10-5 advantage that was highlighted by a ferocious transition dunk by Patton Jr. The Toreros also limited the Waves to shooting just 22.2% (2-for-9) from the floor in the game's first five minutes. 

• The Toreros proceeded to open the lead to double digits, 21-11, which was fueled by a couple of buckets from junior center Steven Jamerson II as well as a three-pointer from Patton Jr. 

• San Diego then went on a 9-2 run lasting 2:34, prompting Pepperdine to call a timeout with 8:41 remaining in the first half as the Toreros led 30-15. During the run, USD made six of its last seven baskets. 

• Pepperdine cut the deficit down to nine with 7:46 remaining before Hayes nailed a three-pointer and Jamerson II hammered a dunk to get the lead back to a dozen, 35-23. 

• USD was able to retain its double-digit advantage with 3:05 remaining in the opening half, leading 42-32. Through this point, San Diego was outscoring Pepperdine in the paint, 26-8. 

• The Toreros ended the half leading 48-35. Hayes, Oladokun Jr. and Patton Jr. each led the team at the break with eight points and Jamerson II, McKinney III, and Dahlke were right behind with six. 

• Pepperdine scored the first eight points of the second half to cut their deficit down to five, 48-43, prompting an early timeout by the Toreros with 17:51 left in the game. 

• San Diego was able to get the lead back to eight with a couple of made free throws by Oladokun Jr, a layup by McKinney, and a three by Hayes to get the score to 55-47 with 15:13 remaining. 

• With 11:43 to go, USD had four of its five starters in double figures, highlighted by McKinney III and Hayes each having 11 points with the Toreros leading 62-54. 

• Although Pepperdine cut the deficit down to six on a pair of made free throws, McKinney III was able to find Dahlke at the top of the key for a three to get the Toreros' lead back to nine, 65-56, with 10:35 left in the game. 

• With 9:14 remaining, Dahlke made a free throw to reach 10 points and became the fifth Torero of the evening with double-digit points. 

• As Pepperdine held USD scoreless for more than three minutes, it embarked on a 9-0 run to complete its comeback and even the score at 71-71 with 4:11 remaining. It marked the first tie of the game.

• The Waves extended their run to 14-0 to take their first lead of the evening at 76-71 with 2:33 left. 

• A three on the wing in front of the San Diego bench from Patton Jr. cut USD's deficit down to 79-74 with 34.8 seconds left and ended the Waves' nearly nine-minute, 21-5 run.

• The freshman guard made all three of his free throws down the stretch to pull his team back within four with 19.3 seconds remaining, but the Toreros got no closer.

Notable:
• San Diego's first 12 points last Saturday — which were scored in the contest's opening six minutes — came in the paint, representing a notable improvement after scoring only 20 in total against San Francisco on Thursday.

• USD's 48 points in the first half were the most the Toreros have scored in an opening period this season. 

• The Toreros shot 56.6% (30-for-53) from the floor and 61.5% (8-for-13) from beyond the arc against Pepperdine, which both marked season highs.

• USD also recorded 20 assists, its second-most in a game this season. 

• Patton Jr. recorded his third consecutive game with exactly 16 points, which is one point shy of his career high. His five assists against the Waves last Saturday night were a career high.

• Hayes, who was 3-of-4 from three-point range, recorded his best performance from beyond the arc since going 2-for-2 against St. Mary's on January 4 and 5-of-10 against Westcliff on December 31. 

• Dahlke went a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor and made his lone three-pointer enroute to 11 total points, which tied his career-high. 

• Jamerson II and Patton Jr. paced the Toreros with seven rebounds apiece against the Waves.

• Eight of San Diego's nine players who appeared in last Saturday's game scored at least two points.  

• Junior guard Deuce Turner missed last Saturday night's game due to injury. 

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."

KEVIN PATTON JR. EARNS SECOND WCC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONOR
• First-year guard Kevin Patton Jr. was named the WCC Freshman of the Week for January 15, 2024, the West Coast Conference announced on Monday morning.

• Patton Jr. recorded 16 points in back-to-back games against San Francisco and Pepperdine last week. He shot 50 percent from both the field (11-for-22) and three-point range (5-for-10), and made five of his seven free throws to total 32 points against the Dons and Waves. Dating back to January 6th's matchup at No. 24 Gonzaga, Patton Jr. has notched exactly 16 points in each of USD's last three contests.

• This is the third time a Torero has earned the WCC Freshman of the Week honors this season and the second time Patton Jr. has won the award.

2023-2024 SAN DIEGO WCC FRESHMEN OF THE WEEK
• 1/15/24 - Kevin Patton Jr.
• 1/2/24 - Dragos Lungu
• 12/18/24 - Kevin Patton Jr.

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

TOP FIVE
Through 19 games in the 2023-2024 season, San Diego ranks among the West Coast Conference's top five teams in the following statistical categories…
• Bench Points per Game: 1st (27.32)

• Blocks per Game: 2nd (3.8)

• Fastbreak Points per Game: 2nd (14.63)

• Free Throw Percentage: 2nd (73.5)

• Turnovers Forced Per Game: 2nd (13.05)

• Free Throws Made Per Game: 3rd (13.3)

• Three Point Percentage: 4th (35.3)

• Rebounds Per Game: 5th (36.37)

THE DEUCE IS LOOSE
• Junior guard Deuce Turner's 58 total points in two games during the opening week of WCC play 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 (January 4) and a road contest in Spokane (January 6) and made 12 of his 14 total free throws.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 9-4 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 10 different starting lineups and 15 different second-half starting lineups through 19 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 44th nationally with an average of 27.32 bench points per game.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on 11 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.

• In total, 15 San Diego players have combined to miss more than 718 days of practice/competition this season due to injury and/or illness.

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. (twice) 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 79 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 59, Deven Dahlke with 52, Dominic Muncey with 32, Steven Jamerson II with 26, 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 (ranks sixth in WCC); 35 made threes are second-most for Toreros (fifth-most in WCC)

• 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 total points (263), assists (53), steals (30), made free throws (71), and double-digit scoring performances (16)

• 14.7 points per game ranks second on San Diego roster and eighth in the WCC

• Sixty-four total rebounds are USD's fourth-most and his 52 defensive boards are tied for second on the Torero roster

• Seventy-one of his 263 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 75% 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
• Forty made three-pointers this season and 2.22 three-pointers per game lead USD and rank fourth in the WCC

• Ranks third for the Toreros in total points (186) 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
• Reigning/two-time WCC Freshman of the Week (January 15, 2024 and December 18, 2024)

• Has scored exactly 16 points in three consecutive games (January 6 at No. 24 Gonzaga, January 11 vs. San Francisco, and January 13 vs. Pepperdine)

• Leads USD in both total rebounds (93) and defensive rebounds (75); ranks second in rebounds per game (4.9)

• Is averaging 9.4 points per game (ranks fourth on the USD roster) and has eight double-digit scoring performances so far in 2023-2024

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 (7.4) through 10 games played (nine starts)

• Leads USD with 37 offensive rebounds and has grabbed seven rebounds or more in eight of his last nine 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

• 48% field goal percentage ranks second on the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 6.3 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-one offensive rebounds also rank second for USD and his 66 total boards (3.9 RPG) rank third

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