SAN DIEGO — Winners of five of its last six games (including four of its last five on the road), San Diego men's basketball (15-11, 5-6 WCC) returns to Alcala Park this week to continue West Coast Conference play at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, beginning a two-game homestand on Thursday night with a matchup against Portland (9-17, 3-8 WCC).

Tip-off opposite the Pilots is set for 7:02 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 AGAINST PORTLAND
• The Toreros are 59-36 against the Pilots all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming earlier this season on Tuesday, January 23, when USD completed a remarkable 85-81 comeback victory over the Pilots at the Chiles Center.

• Junior forward PJ Hayes drilled a program-record nine threes that night as he racked up a career-high 33 points.

• Freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. totaled 14 points that evening, shooting 5-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 from distance and 3-for-3 from the line as he added six rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two steals.

• USD's first meeting with Portland this season was originally scheduled for Thursday, January 18th, but was postponed due to travel difficulties for the Toreros associated with inclement weather in the Pacific Northwest.

• San Diego last hosted Portland on February 2, 2023, when it fell by an 80-61 margin.

• The Toreros last beat the Pilots in the JCP on January 13, 2021, when they earned a thrilling 68-63 overtime victory.

WAYNE MCKINNEY III NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• San Diego's Wayne McKinney III has been named the WCC Player of the Week for February 12, the West Coast Conference announced on Monday morning.

• McKinney III set forth back-to-back career-best performances last week, leading the Toreros to a pair of key WCC victories by totaling 55 points, along with 11 rebounds, eight assists and a steal. The junior guard started his big week last Wednesday against LMU, recording what was then a career-high 24 points with six rebounds, six assists and a steal. He finished his week earning a new career high of 31 points at Pacific, adding five rebounds and two assists as he helped USD overcome an early 13-point deficit.

• The Coronado High School graduate is the first Torero to earn WCC Player of the Week honors since November 21, 2022 (Eric Williams Jr.), and is the third San Diego player to earn a weekly conference honor in 2023-2024 after Kevin Patton Jr. was named WCC Freshman of the Week three times and Dragos Lungu took home the league's first-year recognition once.

LAST TIME OUT - McKinney II and Jamerson II Dominate in Comeback Win at Pacific
• Career-best performances from both Wayne McKinney III and Steven Jamerson II on Saturday night led San Diego to a comeback victory over Pacific, earning the Toreros their fifth win in their last six games as they rallied to overcome an early 13-point deficit and prevail by an 89-84 margin at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

• USD was down 26-13 midway through the first half but responded with a flurry of points as the opening period wound to a close, and took its first lead of the game with 1:40 remaining. Minutes later, the Toreros went into halftime with a 45-43 advantage, and they didn't trail again

• McKinney III, a junior guard who attended nearby Coronado High School, seized control of the game as he set forth his finest effort as a Torero thus far, totaling a career-high 31 points while going 7-for-13 from the field, 2-for-3 from distance, and a strong 15-for-16 from the line.

• Jamerson II, a junior center, continued his hot streak by recording his fifth consecutive double-double, doing so with a career-high 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the field and a game-high 14 rebounds.

• Junior guard Deuce Turner made a game-high four threes enroute to 20 total points, marking his 17th double-digit scoring performance of the season and the sixth time in 2023-2024 that he has tallied 20 points or more.

How It Happened:
• The Tigers started Saturday night's game off strong, racing to an early 9-0 lead behind a pair of early free throws, two layups, and a three.

• A dunk from Jamerson II got the Toreros on the board with 16:24 remaining, then a three from Turner made it an eight-point, 15-7 deficit for the Toreros. At the under-16 media timeout, USD trailed 17-7.

• Pacific's lead stretched to as many as 13 as the opening frame got underway before senior guard Deven Dahlke drilled a three with 10:16 remaining to bring it back to 10 at 26-16.

• Three made free throws – two from Jamerson II and one from freshman forward Jimmy Oladokun Jr. — got the Toreros back within seven, 26-19, as the clock ticked inside 8:30.

• Jamerson II followed with a jumper, and at the under-eight media timeout USD was within five points, and trailed only 26-21.

• Threes from junior guard PJ Hayes and Turner kept USD within striking distance, then McKinney III tied the game at 36-36 with a three-point play after driving the length of the court for a contested layup while drawing a foul, and making the ensuing free throw.

• Oladokun Jr. then made a layup with 2:49 left, and San Diego had its first lead of the game, 38-36.

• Seven points from McKinney in the half's final 1:14 followed to put USD up 45-43 at the intermission.

•  Layups from Jamerson II, free throws from McKinney III, and a three from Hayes kept San Diego ahead as the second half got underway, and it held a 56-55 advantage at the under-11 media timeout.

• Minutes later, McKinney III drained a clutch three with 10:22 remaining to push USD's lead to four, at 62-58.

• Back-to-back threes and a layup from Turner then gave the Toreros an eight-point, 76-68 lead at the under-four media timeout.

• Pacific got back within five down the stretch, but San Diego made each of its last eight free throws in the game's final minute to seal a 89-84 comeback victory over the Tigers at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

Notable:
• Jamerson II is 41-for-49 (.836) from the field across his last five games, all of which have seen him record double-doubles. He also had a team-high four assists on Saturday night and contributed a block.

• McKinney III is the third San Diego player to score 30 or more points in a game this season (Deuce Turner, PJ Hayes).

•Turner was 6-for-10 from the field against the Tigers, was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, and added a team-high two steals.

•Oladokun Jr. totaled seven points (3-for-7 FG) and contributed four rebounds and three assists in what marked his best scoring performance in nearly a month.

• Hayes scored six points on a pair of threes and had six rebounds.

• Sophomore guard Emmanuel Callas recorded a block.

• USD's win at Pacific on Saturday night marked the 11th time this season that it has overcome at least a five-point deficit and won, and the seventh time in 2023-2024 that it has overcome a double-digit deficit to earn a victory.

• San Diego committed a season-low nine turnovers against the Tigers.

They Said It:
Head Coach Steve Lavin on his team's recent run of success:

• "I'm proud of how our team has persevered through navigating two gauntlets in WCC play. The first challenge was opening conference play with games against St Mary's, Gonzaga twice, & USF. The second arduous stretch has been our current run that includes five of six games being played on the road. Clearly the most unique schedule of any season in my career."

TOP FIVE
Through 26 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 (26.46), 45th in the nation

• Fastbreak Points Per Game: 2nd (13.69), 38th in the nation

• Free Throws Made Per Game: 2nd (13.7)

• Three Point Percentage: 2nd (35.7)

• Turnovers forced Per Game: 2nd (12.81)

• Blocks per Game: 3rd (3.7)

• Free Throws Attempts Per Game: 3rd (18.7)

• Free Throw Percentage: 3rd (73.4)

• Scoring Offense: 4th (73.5)

• Steals Per Game: 4th (6.7)

• Field Goal Percentage: 5th (44.5)

• Rebounds Per Game: 5th (34.88)

• Winning Percentage: 5th (57.7)

LEADING THE WAY
A San Diego player has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring high in 10 of the Toreros' last 13 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)

• January 23, 2024 at Portland: PJ Hayes, 33 points (game high)

• January 27, 2024 at Pepperdine: Steven Jamerson II, 20 points (game high)

• February 3, 2024 at Santa Clara: Deuce Turner, 23 points (game high)

• February 7, 2024 vs Loyola Marymount: Wayne McKinney III, 24 points (game high)

• February 10, 2024 vs Pacific: Wayne McKinney III, 31 points (game high)

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
• Depth has been a strength for USD this season, with head coach Steve Lavin utilizing 12 different starting lineups and 17 different second-half starting lineups through 26 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 45th nationally with an average of 26.46 bench points per game.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on 12 occasions this season, with both lineups being the same in 14 games so far.

• Of the 15 players who have seen minutes for USD this season, 11 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 five averaging 20 or more.

• In total, 15 San Diego players have combined to miss more than 840 days of practice and/or 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. (three times) and Dragos Lungu (once).

• 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.

• Sophomore Emmanuel Callas played in his first college game on January 4th after missing all of his freshman season due to injury, followed by freshman Josh Hecht's college debut on January 20.

• In total, 10 of the Toreros' 17 players have 24 games of Division I experience or less, and five have appeared in less than 15 college games.

• Junior Wayne McKinney III leads the USD roster with 86 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 66, Deven Dahlke with 59, Dominic Muncey with 39, Steven Jamerson II with 33, Bendji Pierre with 17, and Neel Beniwal with 14.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 10-5 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, Westcliff, and Loyola Marymount.

• 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.

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.

COMEBACK KIDS
San Diego has demonstrated considerable resilience this season, overcoming at least a five-point deficit in 11 of its 15 victories so far this season.

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

• 1/23/24 at Portland (Trailed 26-12, won 85-81): 14-point deficit

• 2/10/24 at Pacific (Trailed 26-13, won 89-84): 13-point deficit

January 27th's 69-67 win at Pepperdine was San Diego's first victory so far this season in which it did not have to overcome a deficit of five or more points (the Toreros' biggest deficit that evening was two).

Four of San Diego's last five wins —including last Saturday's triumph at Pacific — have been decided by five points or less.

A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
• PJ Hayes' nine made three-pointers at Portland on January 23 are a San Diego program record.

MOST 3P FIELD GOALS MADE IN A SINGLE GAME - USD HISTORY (since 1986-87):
9  PJ Hayes at Portland 1-23-24
8  Johnny Dee  vs. Maine (12-10-11)
8  Ross DeRogatis  vs. Furman (12-3-05)   
8  Ross DeRogatis  vs. SCU (2-24-05)
8  Mark Manor  vs. Portland (2-27-87)
7  Jase Townsend at Pacific (2-11-2023)
7  Eric Williams Jr. vs. Utah State (11-17-2022)
7  Olin Carter III  vs. Pepperdine (12-30-17)

• Hayes' 33 total points against the Pilots on January 23 are also the seventh-most in a single game in program history.

THIRTY OR MORE POINTS IN A GAME - USD HISTORY:
43  Eric Williams Jr. vs. Utah State (11-17-22)
40* Robert "Pinky" Smith vs. Chapman  (12-9-1972) *Scored 19 field goals (school record) with two free throws
37 Marty Munn vs. Loyola Marymount  (2-27-1988)
37 Mike Whitmarsh  vs. Loyola Marymount (2-26-1983)
36 Andre Laws vs. Washington  (12-1-2001)
35 Doug Harris vs. CS Northridge (2-28-1995)
34 Deuce Turner vs. Saint Mary's (1-4-2023)
34 Jase Townsend at Pacific (2-11-2023)
34 Olin Carter III vs. Bethesda (12-17-2016)
34 Brandon Gay vs. Pepperdine (3-5-2005)
34 Ryan Williams  vs. Sacramento State  (11-24-1995)
33 PJ Hayes at Portland (1-23-2024)
32 Marcellus Earlington at Portland (1-19-2023)
31 Wayne McKinney III at Pacific (2-10-2024)

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.

• His 34 points that week against Saint Mary's remain tied for the most in a single game by a WCC player this season and are the sixth-most all-time by a San Diego player in a single game.

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
Wayne McKinney III | Junior | Guard | Coronado High School
• Became the third San Diego player to score 30 or more points in a game this season (Deuce Turner, PJ Hayes) on Saturday night at Pacific, totaling a career-high 31 points while going 7-for-13 from the field, 2-for-3 from distance, and a strong 15-for-16 from the line

• Also scored what was then a career-high 24 points against Loyola Marymount on Wednesday night, going 8-for-13 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc as he matched his career-high with six assists and grabbed six rebounds

• Leads USD in total points (373), points per game (14.9), assists (74), steals (35), made free throws (107), and double-digit scoring performances (22)

• Ninety-five total rebounds and 77 defensive boards both rank third on the Torero roster

• 107 of his 373 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 75% from the line this season

• Ranks among the West Coast Conference's top five players in the following statistical categories:

• Free Throw Attempts (1st)
• Free Throws Made (1st)
• Points (5th)
• Steals (5th)
• Steals Per Game (5th)

• Received the Alex Smith Courage in Sports Award on February 5th at the San Diego Sports Association's 76th annual Salute to the Champions

• Drilled a clutch jumper as time expired on January 27 at Pepperdine to push USD to a 69-67 win

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

Steven Jamerson II | Junior | Center | Crespi Carmelite High School
• Continued his hot streak by recording his fifth consecutive double-double on Saturday night at Pacific, doing so with a career-high 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the field and a game-high 14 rebounds. He also had a team-high four assists and contributed a block.

• Is 41-for-49 (.836) from the field across his last five games, all of which have seen him record double-doubles

• February 10 at Pacific: 22 points (career-high), 14 rebounds (career high)

• February 7 vs Loyola Marymount: 14 points, 11 rebounds

• February 3 at Santa Clara: 10 points, 10 rebounds

• February 1 at San Francisco: 18 points (team high), 10 rebounds (tied for game high)

• January 27 at Pepperdine: 20 points (game high), 12 rebounds

• Leads Toreros in total rebounds (157), offensive rebounds (69), and rebounds per game (8.3)

• Has grabbed seven rebounds or more in 14 of his last 16 games, including nine games with 10-plus rebounds and two with nine

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

• 63% field goal percentage leads the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 9.3 points per game

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

• Ranks 4th in the West Coast Conference for double-doubles, with six total this season

PJ Hayes | Senior | Forward | Black Hills State University
• Nine made threes on January 23 at Portland are a San Diego program record and are tied for the most made threes in a single game by a West Coast Conference player this season

• Finished with 33 points against the Pilots that evening, which marked a new career high, the second-most in a single game by any WCC player so far this season, and the seventh-most in a single game in USD program history

• Totaled 16 points on February 7th vs Loyola Marymount by going 6-for-11 from the field, and 4-for-8 from distance

• Leads USD in three-point percentage (42%, minimum six attempts), made threes (61), and three-pointers per game (2.44)

• Ranks among the West Coast Conference's top four players in Three Pointers Per Game (2nd), Total 3-point Field Goals Made (2nd) and Three Point Attempts (4th)

•  Is third for the Toreros in total points (277) and points per game (11.1)

• Recorded what was then 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

Deuce Turner | Junior | Guard | Bucknell University
• Scored 34 points (11-18 FG, 4-7 3P, 8-9 FT) on January 4 against Saint Mary's, which is tied for the most in a single game by any WCC player this year, the sixth-most in a single game in San Diego history, and was 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

• Ranks second in the WCC in Free Throw Percentage, shooting 86% from the charity stripe

• Made a game-high four threes enroute to 20 total points on Saturday night at Pacific, marking his 17th double-digit scoring performance of the season and the sixth time in 2023-2024 that he has tallied 20 points or more.

• Totaled a game-high 23 points (6-for-12 FG, 4-for-7 3PT, 7-for-8 FT) on February 3 in USD's 70-59 win at Santa Clara

• Is second for USD in points per game (14.5) and made threes (45)

• Has recorded double-digit points in 17 of his first 24 games this season

• 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

Kevin Patton Jr. | Freshman | Guard | Rancho Christian High School
• Three-time WCC Freshman of the Week (January 29, 2024, January 15, 2024, and December 18, 2023)

• Leads the WCC in Total Blocks (37) and Blocks Per Game (1.48)

• Has notched double-digit points in five of his last nine games (a span that at one point included three straight 16-point performances)

• Leads USD in defensive rebounds (95) and blocks (37); ranks second for Toreros in total rebounds (116) and rebounds per game (4.6)

• Is averaging 9.3 points per game (ranks fourth on the USD roster) and has 10 double-digit scoring performances so far in 2023-2024

Jimmy Oladokun Jr. | Forward | Sierra Canyon High School
• Totaled seven points (3-for-7 FG) and contributed four rebounds and three assists on Saturday night at Pacific, in what marked his best scoring performance in nearly a month.

• Ranks second for the Toreros in field goal percentage so far this season, shooting 47.9%

• Thirty-five offensive rebounds ranks second for USD and his 76 total boards (3.2 RPG) ranks fifth

• Fourteen blocks in 2023-2024 season ranks third among his teammates