MORAGA, Calif. — Winners of six of its last eight games — including four of its last five on the road — San Diego men's basketball (16-12, 6-7 WCC) is set to resume West Coast Conference play against No. 18 Saint Mary's (22-6, 13-0 WCC) this weekend, traveling to Moraga, California to take on the Gaels at UCU Pavilion.

Tip-off on Saturday night is set for 7:00 p.m., and the action will be televised nationally on ESPNU with Dave Feldman (play-by-play) and Adrian Branch (analyst) on the call.

Jack Cronin will have the live radio call on USDToreros.com, and live statistics will be available on SMCGaels.com.

ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST SAINT MARY'S
• The Toreros are 36-58 against the Gaels all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming earlier this season on Thursday, January 4, when the Toreros dropped a tough 81-70 decision to SMC in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• Junior guard Deuce Turner scored a career-high 34 points that night, shooting 11-for-17 from the field, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and 8-for-9 from the line.

• USD last played at the UCU Pavilion on December 29, 2022, when it suffered an 85-58 loss to the Gaels.

• San Diego most recently defeated Saint Mary's in Moraga on February 5, 2007, when it earned a 76-72 road victory over SMC.

The Toreros last defeated a ranked team almost exactly 10 years ago today — on February 23, 2014 — when they beat No. 22 Gonzaga 69-66 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

PATTON JR. EARNS FOURTH WCC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONOR
• First year-guard Kevin Patton Jr. has been named the WCC Freshman of the Week for a tied-for-league-best fourth time this season, the West Coast Conference announced on Monday morning.

• Patton Jr. collected 24 points combined in matchups with Portland and Santa Clara. He began his week recording 13 points against the Pilots, adding four rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks. He wrapped up his weekend by adding 11 points with another four rebounds, an assist, two steals and two blocks against the Broncos.

• He is the second Torero to be named WCC Freshman of the Week this season (Dragos Lungu, January 2) and the third to receive a WCC weekly award after Wayne McKinney III was named WCC Player of the Week on February 12.

LAST TIME OUT - San Diego Falls to Santa Clara at Jenny Craig Pavilion
• Junior guard Deuce Turner scored a game-high 30 points last Saturday night but San Diego couldn't keep up with Santa Clara, dropping a tough 82-69 decision to the Broncos before a crowd of 2,371 in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• The Toreros faced a first-half deficit of 17 points and were able to cut the lead down to five against SCU. In the second half, Santa Clara's lead reached 19 before the USD could get no closer than seven with four minutes remaining.

• San Diego opened 1-of-15 from three-point range before making four of their final seven shots from beyond the arc

• USD's four-game win streak in West Coast Conference play was snapped as the Toreros suffered their first home loss since January 20.

Notable:
• Junior guard Deuce Turner, who recorded 19 of his 30 points in the second half, notched his second 30-point game this season, marking the fourth time this season that a Torero has reached 30 points in a game.

• Junior guard Wayne McKinney III and freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. recorded 13 and 11 points, respectively to round out San Diego's list of double-digit scorers on Saturday night.

• Saturday night marked San Diego's second loss this season when it had three players score in double figures.

• USD's six assists tied a season-low and were its fewest in a single game since November 25 against Hawaii.

• Last Saturday's attendance of 2,371 was the Toreros' second highest home crowd this season.

They Said It:
Head Coach Steve Lavin on the difficulty of relying on comeback victories:

• "We cut it to seven at one point (in the second half). There were some surges. We were down 17 and then we got down to 19. But then we cut it, we kept coming back, but it's a tall task against a better team that has tall players."

Junior Deuce Turner on Santa Clara's defensive presence:

• They were being really aggressive. I know on PJ, they were not leaving (him) at all. They were making sure when I got the ball to really press up on me, and so they did a really good job as far as taking away the three and forcing us to shoot twos. And the threes that we took were tough."

TOP FIVE
Through 28 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 (26.61), 44th in the nation

• Fastbreak Points Per Game: 2nd (14.21), 27th in the nation

• Turnovers Forced Per Game: 2nd (12.89),

• Free Throws Made Per Game: 2nd (13.8)

• Blocks per Game: 3rd (3.8)

• Free Throws Attempts Per Game: 3rd (18.8)

• Free Throw Percentage: 3rd (73.4)

• Steals Per Game: 3rd (6.9)

• Three Point Percentage: 4th (35.3)

• Three Point Percentage Defense: 4th (32.5)

• Field Goal Percentage Defense: 5th (45.1)

• Defensive Rebounds Per Game: 5th (24.82)

• Rebounds Per Game: 5th (34.68)

• Scoring Offense: 5th (73.2)

• Winning Percentage: 5th (.571)

LEADING THE WAY
A San Diego player has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring high in 11 of the Toreros' last 15 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)

• February 17, 2024 vs Santa Clara: Deuce Turner, 30 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 28 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 44th nationally with an average of 26.61 bench points per game.

• San Diego's second-half starting lineup has been different from its first-half starters on 14 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 more than 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 88 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 68, Deven Dahlke with 61, Dominic Muncey with 40, Steven Jamerson II with 35, Bendji Pierre with 17, and Neel Beniwal with 14.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 11-6 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 February 15'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)
30 Deuce Turner vs Santa Clara (2-17-2024)

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) on February 10th 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 (395), assists (82), made free throws (111), and double-digit scoring performances (23)

• Ranks second for USD in steals (38); 99 total rebounds and 79 defensive boards both rank third on the Torero roster

• 111 of his 395 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 made free throws (111), while ranking second in both free throw attempts (148) and free throw percentage (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 48-for-60 (.800) from the field across his last seven 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 (171), offensive rebounds (72), and rebounds per game (8.1)

• Has grabbed seven rebounds or more in 16 of his last 18 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

• 63.4% field goal percentage leads the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 9.1 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
• Sixty-seven made threes this season leads the WCC; 42.7 three-point percentage and 2.50 threes per game both rank second in the conference

• 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

• Leads USD in three-point percentage (42.7%, minimum six attempts), made threes (67), and three-pointers per game (2.48)

• Is third for the Toreros in total points (300) and points per game (11.1)

• Totaled 14 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting on February 15th against Portland

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

• 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 remains 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 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

• Notched his second 30-point game this season last Saturday vs Santa Clara, recording 19 of his 30 points in the second half, marking the fourth time this season that a Torero has reached 30 points in a game.

• Leads his teammates in points per game (15.2), a mark that puts him fifth within the WCC

• Had a team-high 17 points on February 15th against Portland, making a trio of clutch threes as he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line

• Ranks second in the WCC in free throw percentage, shooting 84.8% from the charity stripe

• Has recorded double-digit points in 19 of his first 26 games, as well as nine of his last 13 this season and has totaled 20 or more points on seven occasions

• Made a game-high four threes enroute to 20 total points on February 15th vs 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
• Four-time/reigning WCC Freshman of the Week (February 19, 2024, January 29, 2024, January 15, 2024, and December 18, 2023)

• Leads the WCC in both blocks (41) and blocks per game (1.52)

• Added 13 points on February 15th vs 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 seven of his last 11 games (a span that at one point included three straight 16-point performances)

• Leads USD in defensive rebounds (103), blocks (41), and steals (39); ranks second for Toreros in total rebounds (124) and rebounds per game (4.6)

• Is averaging 9.5 points per game (ranks fourth on the USD roster) and has 12 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 February 15th vs 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 48%

• Thirty-eight offensive rebounds ranks second for USD and his 78 total boards (3.1 RPG) ranks fifth

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