SAN DIEGO — After going 3-1 across a four-game, 18-day road stint and notching key wins over Portland, Pepperdine, and Santa Clara, San Diego men's basketball (13-11, 3-6 WCC) is set to return home on Wednesday night for the first time since January 20, hosting Loyola Marymount (10-12, 3-5 WCC) as West Coast Conference play continues in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Tip-off against the Lions on Wednesday evening 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 AGAINST LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
• The Toreros are 55-53 against the Lions all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming last season on February 4, 2023, when USD won an 87-79 decision at the JCP.

• Then a sophomore, guard Deuce Turner registered what was then a season-high 20 points and five assists that evening after earning his second start of the 2022-2023 season, shooting 11-of-15 from the free throw line.

• Guard Wayne McKinney III, also a sophomore at the time, contributed nine points and tied what was then a career-high with eight rebounds. He added three assists and drew eight fouls, including multiple charges.

LAST TIME OUT - Turner and Jamerson II Power Thrilling Road Win at Santa Clara
• A game-high 23 points from junior guard Deuce Turner and a third consecutive double-double from junior center Steven Jamerson II on Saturday evening earned San Diego thrilling 70-59 win over Santa Clara before a crowd of 2,351 at the Leavey Center.

• Turner shot 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.

• Jamerson II added 10 points of his own and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to notch his fourth career double-double and his third in the Toreros' last three games.

• USD jumped out to an early lead, held onto its advantage through nearly the entirety of the first half, and was ahead by a 36-31 margin at the break.

• SCU opened up the second period in strong fashion, and surged forward to take its largest lead of the evening at 49-46 with 10:50 remaining, but a clutch corner three from senior guard Deven Dahlke eventually made it 51-49 in favor of the Toreros, and they didn't trail again.

• The win moves San Diego to 3-1 in its last four road games, all of which have come consecutively on its schedule across an 18-day stretch of contests away from home.

How It Happened:
• Santa Clara struck first on Saturday evening, but a trio of Torero layups from Jamerson II, freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr., and junior guard PJ Hayes pushed USD ahead by an early 6-4 margin.

• A jumper from sophomore guard Emmanuel Callas at the 13:57 mark stretched USD's advantage to 12-6, then a three from Turner and a lay-up from freshman forward Jimmy

• Oladokun Jr. made it a 12-point, 21-9 game midway through the half.

• Free throws from Turner with 7:42 remaining extended the Toreros' lead to 14 points at 26-12 before the Broncos began to creep back into the contest.

• SCU closed the half on a 9-3 run to cut their deficit to just five points, 36-31 at the intermission.

• The Broncos opened up the second half strong, and tied the game, then pulled ahead on a pair of free throws with 16:17 to go.

• Santa Clara's lead swelled to three before Hayes was fouled shooting a three and made a trio of free throws to knot the score at 41-41.

• Both teams traded lay-ups to keep things locked at 43-43, then Hayes drilled a deep three to make it 46-43, USD.

• A pair of Santa Clara free throws with 10:50 remaining gave the Broncos their largest lead of the evening at 49-46, but Patton Jr. was able to restore order and get San Diego back within one with a layup.

• With 10:10 remaining and his team trailing 49-48, Dahlke stepped up and delivered perhaps the most pivotal shot of the game, dashing to the corner where he awaited a perfect pass from Jamerson II and drained a clutch three, giving USD a 51-49 lead that it did not relinquish.

• Turner capitalized off of a turnover and hit a three at the 2:48 mark to make it a 10-point, 64-54 game in his team's favor, then made four straight free throws down the stretch to seal a 70-59 win.

Notable:
• San Diego finished its 18-day, four-game road stretch with a 3-1 record.

• Hayes totaled 14 points by going 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-5 from distance, and 4-for-5 from the line.

• Reigning WCC Freshman of the Week Kevin Patton Jr. added eight points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field and singlehandedly recorded the game's only three blocks.

• Jamerson II chipped in a team-high three assists.

• McKinney III grabbed five rebounds, all on the defensive end, and led the game with three steals.

• San Diego led for 32:43 of Saturday evening's game, trailed for only 4:11, and was tied with Santa Clara for 2:57.

• After trailing by five points or more at some point in each of its first 11 wins this season, USD has trailed by a maximum of two and three points, respectively, in each of its last two victories (January 27 at Pepperdine and February 3 at Santa Clara).

They Said It:
Head coach Steve Lavin on his team's victory at Santa Clara:

• "In conference play, when you can knock off a team that's in the upper half of the league — on their home floor — it's an indication that you're making progress. Santa Clara is a quality team who's beaten Gonzaga…so I'm proud of our players, not only to win this game tonight, but to win three out of four road games as the youngest team in school history. (The win) really bodes well, not only for the future this season, but beyond. I think this Bay Area trip was really valuable for us in terms of team bonding and playing some really tough competition."

Junior guard Deuce Turner on his team's resilience:

• "It just shows the trust that we have in each other….we're gonna keep coming back to some guys that are struggling, we're gonna pick each other up."

TOP FIVE
Through 24 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 (26.62)

• Fastbreak Points per Game: 2nd (13.79)

• Turnovers Forced Per Game: 2nd (13.0)

• Free Throw Percentage: 2nd (74.1)

• Blocks per Game: 2nd (3.8)

• Free Throws Made Per Game: 3rd (13.2)

• Rebounds Per Game: 5th (35.00)

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

IT TAKES A VILLAGE
• Depth has been a strength for USD this season, with head coach Steve Lavin utilizing 11 different starting lineups and 16 different second-half starting lineups through 24 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 48th nationally with an average of 26.62 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 13 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 six averaging 20 or more.

• In total, 15 San Diego players have combined to miss more than 800 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. (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 84 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 64, Deven Dahlke with 57, Dominic Muncey with 37, Steven Jamerson II with 31, Bendji Pierre with 17, and Neel Beniwal with 14.

COMEBACK KIDS
San Diego has demonstrated considerable resilience this season, overcoming at least a five-point deficit in 10 of its 13 victories so far this season.

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

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).

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)

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.

HOME SWEET HOME
• San Diego is 9-5 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, 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.

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

• Leads USD in points per game (14.3) and ranks second in made threes (41)

• Has recorded double-digit points in 15 of his first 22 games this season

• 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

• 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

Steven Jamerson II | Junior | Center | Crespi Carmelite High School
• Is 24-for-29 (82.7%) from the field across the Toreros' last three games and has notched back-to-back-to-back double-doubles (January 27 at Pepperdine, February 1 at San Francisco, and February 3 at Santa Clara).

• 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 (career and game high), 12 rebounds

• Leads Toreros in total rebounds (132), offensive rebounds (57), and rebounds per game (7.8)

• Has grabbed seven rebounds or more in 12 of his last 14 games, including seven 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

• 59.5% field goal percentage leads the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 7.5 points per game

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

• Has recorded four total double-doubles this season

Wayne McKinney III | Junior | Guard | Coronado High School
• Received the Alex Smith Courage in Sports Award on Tuesday night at the San Diego Sports Association's 76th annual Salute to the Champions

• Leads USD in total points (318), assists (66), steals (34), made free throws (86), and double-digit scoring performances (20)

• Ranks second for USD in points per game (13.8)

• Eighty-four total rebounds and 70 defensive boards both rank third on the Torero roster

• Eighty-six of his 318 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 74% from the line this season

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

• 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
• Totaled totaled 14 points last Saturday at Santa Clara by going 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-5 from distance, and 4-for-5 from the line

• 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 (41%, minimum six attempts) and three-pointers per game (2.39).

• 2.39 threes per game also rank third in the WCC

• Fifty-five made threes this season are the most on the USD roster and the fourth-most in the WCC

• Ranks third for the Toreros in total points (255) 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

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)

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

• Leads USD in defensive rebounds (92) and blocks (37); ranks second for Toreros in total rebounds (113) and rebounds per game (4.7)

• Is averaging 9.4 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
• Ranks third for the Toreros in field goal percentage so far this season, shooting 48.7%

• Thirty-three offensive rebounds rank second for USD and his 71 total boards (3.2 RPG) rank fourth

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