SAN DIEGO — Winners of six of its last seven games — including four of its last five on the road and four straight against WCC opponents for the first time since 2012-2013 — San Diego men's basketball (16-11, 6-6 WCC) remains in Alcala Park this weekend to continue West Coast Conference play at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, concluding a two-game homestand on Saturday night with a crucial matchup against Santa Clara (16-10, 7-4 WCC).

Tip-off opposite the Broncos 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 SANTA CLARA 
• The Toreros are 40-55 against the Broncos all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming earlier this season on Saturday, February 3, when the Toreros earned a stunning 70-59 win over Santa Clara at the Leavey Center.

• Junior guard Deuce Turner scored a game-high 23 points that night, shooting 6-for-12 from the field, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and 7-for-8 from the line as he recorded his 15th double-digit scoring performance of the season. Junior center Steven Jamerson II added 10 points of his own and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to notch his fourth career double-double.

• USD most recently hosted SCU on February 25, 2023, when it suffered a tough 81-63 home loss to the Broncos.

• San Diego most recently defeated Santa Clara at the JCP on February 18, 2021, when it prevailed by a 71-60 margin.

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 - Toreros Erase 13-Point Deficit to Earn Fourth Straight WCC Win
• Double-digit points from four different Toreros on Thursday night secured San Diego its fourth consecutive West Coast Conference win, a hard-fought 71-66 decision that saw USD erase a 13-point deficit to prevail against Portland at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• The Toreros went 11-for-12 from the free throw line — including a perfect 8-for-8 over the game's final 1:41 — to complete their remarkable comeback over the Pilots, which marks the eighth time this season that USD has overcome a double-digit deficit and won.

• Portland stretched its lead to a game-high 13 with 16:24 left in the second half before San Diego went on a seven-plus-minute 13-0 run to tie the game at 49-49 apiece.

• Junior guard Deuce Turner scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.

• USD has now won six of its last seven games and has put together a four-game win streak in WCC play for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when it won its first four games to begin its  conference schedule.

Notable:
• Freshman Kevin Patton Jr., who recorded 13 points on Thursday night, tied a career-high with four steals.

• Steven Jamerson II's streak of five straight games with a double-double came to an end, but he notched a career-high four blocks.

• Wayne McKinney III's five assists against the Pilots mark the fifth time this season that he has totaled at least five assists and the second time he has done so in the Toreros' last three games.

• PJ Hayes scored 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range and Jamerson II logged 10 points while going 5-for-6 from the field.

• Jamerson II is now shooting 46-for-55 (.836) from the field across his last six games.

• USD moves to 6-4 when it has at least four scorers in double figures.

• San Diego's 11 steals on Thursday are a team season-high.

• The Toreros' 91.7% free throw percentage (on 11-of-12 shooting) against Portland is a team season-high against Division I competition.

• USD is now 11-5 (.687) at home this season.

• San Diego trailed by 14 and 13 points, respectively, in its two meetings with Portland in 2023-2024  to eventually secure wins in both games and earn a regular-season sweep of the Pilots.

• Five of the Toreros' last six wins — and each of their last three victories — have been decided by five points or less.

They Said It:
Head Coach Steve Lavin on his team's resilience:

• "That's a credit to the young men that wear that USD jersey. Their resourcefulness, their ingenuity, they found the energy. Really proud of our team, they kept their poise, they fought back… (This year's team) is as enjoyable a group as we've coached. If I look back through the decades, I've been fortunate to work with some outstanding players and teams over the last 35 years, but this team is as special as any. We're trying to build a 'spaceship', we're in the beginning stages of trying to build a program, and that's what makes it rewarding and gratifying. There were just so many contributors tonight…"

Head Coach Steve Lavin on the importance of his team's zone defense was in the second half:

• "I thought our zone really was a difference maker because it kept our 'bigs' at home. We had a little more resistance at the rim and we were able to contest their perimeter shots better out of the zone because of our length and our activity.

Junior guard Deuce Turner on his team's ability to erase large deficits:

• "We've been there before. With all respect to (Portland), we've done it against higher competition and against larger leads, and we weren't worried at all. We just knew that we had to turn it on and we were able to do that ...and it was sustainable."

Junior forward PJ Hayes on the ability of his teammates to make clutch free throws down the stretch:

• "If it's a close game, the time is coming down, I have utmost faith in anything (Deuce) does. Any shot, any free throws, I know those are going in. For Kevin, it just shows you how advanced he is as a player. Those are some big-time free throws and (it's impressive) for a freshman to come in and do that in your first year."

TOP FIVE
Through 27 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 (26.41), 44th in the nation

• Fastbreak Points Per Game 2nd (13.81), 36th in the nation

• Turnovers Forced Per Game 2nd (12.39),

• Free Throws Made Per Game 2nd (13.7)

• Blocks per Game 3rd (3.8)

• Free Throw Percentage 3rd (73.7)

• Steals Per Game 3rd (6.9)

• Three Point Percentage 3rd (35.8)

• Three Point Percentage Defense 3rd (32.5)

• Free Throws Attempts Per Game 4th (18.6)

• Field Goal Percentage Defense 5th (44.9)

• Rebounds Per Game 5th (34.89)

• Scoring Offense 5th (73.4)

• Winning Percentage 5th (.593)

LEADING THE WAY
A San Diego player has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring high in 10 of the Toreros' last 14 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 18 different second-half starting lineups through 27 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 44th nationally with an average of 26.41 bench points per game.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on 13 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.

• Twelve 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 nearly 850 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 26 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 87 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 67, Deven Dahlke with 60, Dominic Muncey with 40, Steven Jamerson II with 34, Bendji Pierre with 17, and Neel Beniwal with 14.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 1015 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, Loyola Marymount, and Portland.

• 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 12 of its 16 victories so far this season.

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

• 2/15/24 vs. Portland (Trailed 46-33, won 71-66): 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).

Five of San Diego's last six wins —including Thursday night's 71-66 triumph over Portland— 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
• Was named the WCC Player of the Week on February 12 after setting forth back-to-back career-performances against LMU and Pacific

• Became the third San Diego player to score 30 or more points in a game this season (Deuce Turner, PJ Hayes) last Saturday night against the Tigers, 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 the Lions on February 7, 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 (382), points per game (14.7), assists (79), made free throws (108), and double-digit scoring performances (23)

• Ranks second for USD in steals (37); 95 total rebounds and 77 defensive boards both rank third on the Torero roster

• 108 of his 382 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 75% from the line this season

• Leads the WCC in both free throw attempts (144) and free throws made (108)

• 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
• Is 46-for-55 (.836) from the field across his last six games, a span that's seen him notch five double-doubles

JAMERSON II'S SIX DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN 2023-2024:
    • 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

    • December 15 vs. Portland State: 10 points, 10 rebounds

• Leads Toreros in total rebounds (164), offensive rebounds (71), and rebounds per game (8.2)

• Has grabbed seven rebounds or more in 15 of his last 17 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

• 64.2% field goal percentage leads the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 9.4 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 with six double-doubles this season

PJ Hayes | Senior | Forward | Black Hills State University
• Totaled 14 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting on Thursday night against Portland

• 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 (42.8%, minimum six attempts), made threes (65), and three-pointers per game (2.50

• Sixty-five made threes this season also leads the WCC; 42.8 three-point percentage and 2.50 threes per game rank second in the league

• Is third for the Toreros in total points (291) and points per game (11.2)

• 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
• Had a team-high 17 points on Thursday night against Portland, making a trio of clutch threes as he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line

• 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 87% from the charity stripe

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

• Has recorded double-digit points in 18 of his first 25 games this season and has totaled 20 or more points on six occasions

• Made a game-high four threes enroute to 20 total points last Saturday night at Pacific

• 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

• 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 both blocks (39) and blocks per game (1.50)

• Added 13 points on Thursday against Portland, shooting 4-for-9 from the field while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the line and adding a game-high four steals

• Has notched double-digit points in six of his last 10 games (a span that at one point included three straight 16-point performances)

• Leads USD in defensive rebounds (99), blocks (39), and steals (37); ranks second for Toreros in total rebounds (120) and rebounds per game (4.6)

• Is averaging 9.4 points per game (ranks fourth on the USD roster) and has 11 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 last 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 47.5%

• Thirty-six offensive rebounds rank second for USD and his 78 total boards (3.1 RPG) rank sixth

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