STOCKTON, Calif. — Winners of four of its last five games and three of its last four on the road, San Diego men's basketball (14-11, 4-6 WCC) is set to continue West Coast Conference play at Pacific (6-19, 0-10 WCC) this weekend, traveling to Stockton, California to take on the Tigers at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

Tip-off on Saturday night is set for 7:00 p.m., and the action will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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

All-TIME SERIES AGAINST PACIFIC
• The Toreros are 10-18 against the Tigers all-time, with the two teams' most recent meeting coming last season on February 11, 2023, when USD dropped a tough 99-94 decision at the JCP.

• Then a sophomore, guard Wayne McKinney III recorded 14 points, five rebounds and two assists in his 7th double digit performance of the 2022-23 season.

• Guard Deuce Turner, also a sophomore at the time, registered 16 points and three rebounds that evening after earning his third straight start of the 2022-2023 season, shooting 6-of-10 from the field.

LAST TIME OUT - McKinney III, Jamerson II Headline Hard-Fought Win Over LMU
• A career-high 24 points from Wayne McKinney III and a fourth consecutive double-double from Steven Jamerson II on Wednesday night powered San Diego to a hard-fought 79-77 victory over Loyola Marymount in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

• McKinney III — a junior guard who attended nearby Coronado High School — was 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.

• Jamerson II, a junior center, was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor as he tallied 14 points and secured a game-high 11 rebounds.

• The Toreros (14-11, 4-6 WCC) went ahead of the Lions (10-13, 3-6 WCC) by an 18-point, 39-21 margin with 5:06 left in the first half and never looked back to grab their fourth win in their last five games.

• Four USD players had double-digit points against LMU, including junior forward PJ Hayes (16 points, 4-for-8 3PT) and junior guard Deuce Turner, who scored 13 points off the bench and was 7-of-9 from the charity stripe.

• San Diego's 79-77 triumph over the Lions marked its 10th home win of the season, its first home game since January 20, and its first home victory since December 31, 2023.

How It Happened:
• After Loyola Marymount jumped out to a 6-2 lead, the Toreros went on a 10-0 run. USD's hot start included two dunks from Jamerson II and threes from McKinney III and Hayes, and gave San Diego a 12-6 advantage through the game's first four minutes.

• That run reached 13-0 on a free throw from freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. and a layup by McKinney III, and ultimately spanned three and a half minutes.

• USD extended its lead to 22-13 with 11:01 left in the first half when Jamerson II grabbed his second offensive rebound of the night and put it back with a reverse slam dunk.

• San Diego's efficient scoring night continued as McKinney III remained perfect on offense, making his fourth bucket in as many attempts as the Toreros led 29-14 with 7:39 remaining in the opening frame.

• Hayes made his second three-pointer of the night in transition on an assist from McKinney III with 6:11 left to give the Toreros what was then their largest lead of the game (34-17), which prompted the Lions to call a timeout.

• Entering the final media timeout of the first half, San Diego maintained its commanding lead, getting to 41-23 with 3:19 to go as Jamerson II became the second Torero in double figures with 10 points.

• LMU followed with a 6-0 run that lasted nearly three minutes to cut USD's advantage down to 12, 41-29, with 32.5 seconds left in the first half.

• USD went into the intermission with a 13-point, 42-29 lead, and led by Hayes' 11 points, already had three players scoring in double figures. Jamerson II , who entered Wednesday night's game with three straight double-doubles, opened the first half with 10 points and seven rebounds.

• San Diego went into the first media timeout of the second half with a 49-40 lead that was fueled by McKinney III scoring seven points to reach 15 on the evening.

• LMU was able to cut the Toreros' lead down to seven, 56-49, with 12:38 remaining in the game.

• After the timeout, Hayes was able to get his team's lead back to double digits on a three-pointer from the wing and Jamerson II followed that with a layup to put USD up 61-49, with 10:26 left.

• With 5:55 to go, Jamerson II secured his 11th rebound (fifth offensive) and 13th and 14th points of the evening to give San Diego a 64-57 lead.

• Turner and Hayes each made clutch jumpers to build San Diego's lead back to nine, 68-59, with 2:32 remaining in the game. After McKinnney III recorded a steal, senior guard Deven Dahlke hit a clutch three-pointer as the shot clock expired to extend USD's lead to a dozen with 1:47 left.

• LMU cut the deficit down to four, 71-67, with 57.4 remaining in the game, its smallest deficit of the second half.

• The Lions made it a one-possession game in the contest's final minute but the Toreros were able to seal a 79-77 win after McKinney III and Turner made clutch shots down the stretch.

Notable:
• USD has now won four out of its last five games dating back to January 23.

• San Diego went on a valuable 15-2 run that lasted 7:12 from the 19:01 mark to the 12:49 mark in the first half as it created a game-high 18-point lead.

•Jamerson II added a pair of blocks as he recorded his fourth straight game with a double-double. His 35 minutes on the court also tied a season high (January 13 at Pepperdine).

• Over his last four games, Jamerson II is 31-for-36 (86.1%) from the floor.

• USD's efficient night began by shooting 75% (9-of-12) through the game's first nine minutes.

• With Wednesday night's win over the Lions —which saw the Toreros take a 49-29 lead into the intermission — USD moves to 7-1 in 2023-2024 when leading at the half.

• McKinney III's career-best performance against LMU came after he received the Alex Smith Courage in Sports Award on Monday night at the San Diego Sports Association's 76th annual Salute to the Champions.

They Said It:
Head Coach Steve Lavin on his team's performance down the stretch:

• "Proud of our players for withstanding a really impressive run by Loyola Marymount. They just kept coming. And then, we played really well to build that 18-point lead. It was a good experience. The game pressure that comes from winning a closely contested game is really valuable. It helps your team to come more seasoned and mature. And as the youngest team in school history, we need to play in games like this."

Head Coach Steve Lavin on the ebbs and flows of the Toreros' season thus far:
• "The resilient spirit of this group is what impresses me...and that's a great trait, not only in sport, but in life…to be able to bounce back and demonstrate that."

Junior guard Wayne McKinney III on Jamerson II's success:
• "He's been a game-changer for us. Ever since he got back, it's been great for our team. We need all that, all the boards that he grabs, finishes on the interior, finishes on defense, blocking shots, getting rebounds — all that stuff. So I feel like having Jamerson is totally a game-changer, for sure."

Junior center Steven Jamerson II on the Toreros' first-half production:
• "It was great. It was fun, everybody was hitting. Everybody was making all their shots, all the threes. PJ, Deuce, Wayne, all of us were doing what we're supposed to do and doing what we know we can do. And it was just fun to play, and fun to watch. The fans loved it, so I'm glad that we were able to do that in our first game back at home in a while."

TOP FIVE
Through 25 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)

LEADING THE WAY
A San Diego player has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring high in nine of the Toreros' last 12 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)

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 25 games.

• The Toreros lead the WCC and rank 45th nationally with an average of 26.32 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 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 11 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 820 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 85 Division I appearances, followed by Deuce Turner with 65, Deven Dahlke with 58, Dominic Muncey with 38, Steven Jamerson II with 32, 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 14 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 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.

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
• Set a new career high with 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

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

• Leads USD in total points (342), points per game (14.3), assists (72), steals (35), made free throws (92), and double-digit scoring performances (21)

• Ninety total rebounds and 74 defensive boards both rank third on the Torero roster

• Ninety-two of his 342 total points so far in 2023-2024 have come from the charity stripe and he is shooting 73% 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

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

Steven Jamerson II | Junior | Center | Crespi Carmelite High School
• Is 31-for-36 (86.1%) from the field across the Toreros' last four games and has notched four straight double-doubles (January 27 at Pepperdine, February 1 at San Francisco, February 3 at Santa Clara, and February 7 vs Loyola Marymount)

• 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 (career and game high), 12 rebounds

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

• Leads Toreros in total rebounds (143), offensive rebounds (62), and rebounds per game (7.9)

• Has grabbed seven rebounds or more in 13 of his last 15 games, including eight 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

• 61.9% field goal percentage leads the USD roster (minimum seven attempts); is averaging 8.6 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 five total double-doubles this season

PJ Hayes | Senior | Forward | Black Hills State University
• Totaled totaled 16 points on Wednesday night vs Loyola Marymount by going 6-for-11 from the field, and 4-for-8 from distance

• 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%, minimum six attempts) and three-pointers per game (2.46).

• 2.46 threes per game also rank second in the WCC

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

• Ranks third for the Toreros in total points (271) and points per game (11.3)

• 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
• 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 (14.2) and ranks second in made threes (41)

• Has recorded double-digit points in 16 of his first 23 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

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 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
• Ranks second for the Toreros in field goal percentage so far this season, shooting 48.2%

• Thirty-three offensive rebounds rank second for USD and his 72 total boards (3.2 RPG) rank fourth

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