MALIBU, Calif. — San Diego men's basketball (12-10, 2-5 WCC) on Saturday evening utilized some late-game heroics to win its second consecutive West Coast Conference game, taking down Pepperdine (9-14, 2-6 WCC) at the Firestone Fieldhouse by a 69-67 margin after junior guard Wayne McKinney III drilled a clutch go-ahead jumper with just two seconds remaining.

The Coronado High School graduate took the ball with 21 seconds to go and the score tied at 67-67 and waited until there were just a pair of seconds left on the clock to take his shot, a fadeaway jumper just above the free-throw line that was heavily contested by the Waves' 6-foot-11 forward Jevon Porter. When it went in, USD was up by two, and after Pepperdine failed to get a last-chance shot off, the Toreros had earned back-to-back wins on the road.

McKinney III's clutch game-winner was preceded by a dominant, career-best performance from junior center Steven Jamerson II, who led the contest with 20 points (10-for-11 FG) and 12 rebounds as he notched his second double-double of the season.

USD was down by a point at the half but never fell behind by more than two and led the Waves for more than 30 minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Pepperdine scored first on Saturday before ties ensued at 4-4, 8-8, 13-13, and 15-15 as Jamerson II kept USD within striking distance with dominant play in the paint.
• Junior guard Deuce Turner put the Toreros ahead 17-15 with a layup halfway through the first half, keying off a San Diego surge that gave it a game-high 10-point, 30-20 lead with 6:20 remaining after Jamerson II punctuated the run with an emphatic dunk.
• The Waves hung tough and crept back in the game as the opening period wound down, pulling within one at the 4:02 mark before pushing ahead on a jumper with just 24 seconds left to take a slim 38-37 advantage into the intermission.
• Jamerson II immediately put USD back in front when the second half got started before back-and-forth play followed.
• USD was ahead for the first half of the second period, but saw its lead vanish when a fastbreak dunk from the Waves tied the score at 54-54 at the 8:41 mark.
• A Pepperdine layup put the home team ahead by one, 65-64 with 2:09 remaining before Turner fired back with a go-ahead lay-up of his own.
• The Waves made a free throw with 1:29 to go to knot the score at 66-66, then McKinney III was fouled with 21 seconds left.
• He made one of two free throws, and Jamerson II immediately fouled after the miss, sending Pepperdine's Jevon Porter to the line.
• Porter missed the first free throw but made the second to tie it one last time, 67-67, and the stage was set for McKinney III's last-chance heroics.
• Freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. inbounded the ball with 21 seconds remaining to McKinney, who dribbled the length of the court and took all but two seconds off the clock before draining a go-ahead two from just above the free throw line, shooting over the Waves' 6-foot-11 Porter to earn San Diego a hard-fought 69-67 comeback victory in Malibu.

TORERO TIDBITS

• McKinney totaled 14 points on Saturday while going 4-for-7 from the field and added five rebounds, a block, and a steal.
• Turner had 16 points against the Waves, shooting 6-for-15 from the field while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.
• Patton Jr. added 11 points (3-for-9 from the field) and was also a perfect 4-for-4 shooting free throws.
• Jamerson II's 12 rebounds on Saturday are the most by any Torero in a single game so far this season. His 20-point performance earned him the second double-double of his career.
• San Diego out-rebounded Pepperdine 36-30 and held a dominant 46-20 advantage on points in the paint.
• USD has now won two consecutive road games after notching its first true road win of the 2023-2024 season on Tuesday at Portland.
• Saturday night's win marks the Toreros' first victory this season in which they have not trailed by at least five points.

UP NEXT
USD will remain on the road next week, traveling to the Bay Area to continue West Coast Conference play against San Francisco. Tip-off against the Dons on Thursday night at War Memorial Gym is scheduled for 8:00 p.m., and the matchup is set to be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.