SAN DIEGO — San Diego men's basketball took advantage of being inside the friendly confines of the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Saturday night as it defeated Pacific 81-69 to get back on track heading into the West Coast Conference Tournament. 

Junior guard Deuce Turner recorded a game-high 30 points in USD's regular-season finale.

The Toreros (17-14, 7-9 WCC), who snapped their three-game losing streak, recorded 23 points off 13 turnovers by the Tigers (6-25, 0-16 WCC).

San Diego's 17 regular season victories in 2023-2024 came after the team posted 11 in head coach Steve Lavin's first season a year ago. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USD won the tip and Turner got the Toreros on the board with a layup. On the ensuing possession, freshman guard Kevin Patton Jr. recorded a steal and Turner found him for the alley-oop dunk.
• Within the game's first four minutes, San Diego led 9-4 with 15:43 left in the first half that included scoring five straight points heading into the timeout. 
• That was all part of a 14-3 Torero run that lasted more than five minutes. 
• At the second media timeout, USD led 18-9 with 11:48 left in the opening half. Turner was already up to double digits, with 10, on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. 
• San Diego maintained its lead, up 31-24, with 6:25 remaining. 20 of USD's 31 points have come in the paint. 
• The Toreros were able to gain its first double-digit lead Saturday evening when Deuce made a three pointer and was fouled with 4:53 left to build the score to 37-24. He made the free throw to complete the four-point play and get up to 19 points. 
• The final media timeout of the first half came one minute later with 3:53 left on the clock as the Toreros led 37-26. USD had recorded 11 points off five Tigers turnovers. 
• Heading into halftime, San Diego led 45-37. Turner recorded 21 points to lead all scorers while junior center Steven Jamerson II led the Toreros with five rebounds.
• On the opening possession of the second half, junior guard Wayne McKinney III found Jamerson II inside for the lay-in to get USD's lead back to double digits, 47-37.
• Jamerson II's bucket was part of a 13-3 run over the last 4:31, including from the first half as the Toreros built the lead to 15, 55-40 with 17:14 remaining. 
• San Diego led 58-44 at the first media timeout of the second half with 15:30 remaining. McKinney III became the second Torero to reach double figures in scoring while also having four assists. 
• Turner scored a three-pointer from the top of the key to reach his 27th point of the night and gave the Toreros its largest lead of 19, 68-49, with 12:01 remaining. It forced a Tigers timeout. 
• USD led 68-51 with 10:52 left in regulation. The Toreros have outscored Pacific 23-4 in points of turnovers as well as 23-14 in the second half. 
• The Toreros maintained its double-digit lead, up 70-56 with 7:43 left in the game.
• Turner made both ends of a 1-and-1 to get the lead back to 17, 78-61 heading into the final media timeout in regulation with 3:08 left. 
• Jamerson II, who scored all eight of his points as well as eight of his 13 rebounds in the second half, made one of the many key stops down the stretch with a block to secure the 12-point win. 

TORERO TIDBITS

• Turner recorded 30 points to lead all scorers. It marks the third time he has reached the 30-point plateau and the 12th time in the last 16 games a Torero has either achieved or been tied for the game scoring-high.
• The 14 points for McKinney III marked his first double-digit scoring effort in three games. He added six rebounds and a team-high four assists.
• Jamerson II's 13 rebounds marked his first game with double-digit rebounds in five games. He is averaging a team-high 8.3 rebounds this season.  
• Senior guard Deven Dahlke recorded 10 points, which is one away from his season-high. 
• With Turner, McKinney III and Dahlke in double figures, USD improves to 9-5 when it has three players with at least 10 points. 
• The Toreros moved to 10-0 when they outrebound their opponent, 9-1 when leading at the half, 6-1 when scoring 80 or more points and 8-1 when holding their opponent to score in the 60s. 
• USD scored 23 points off 13 Pacific turnovers, compared to the Tigers scoring just five points off nine Torero turnovers. 
• San Diego clinches its first winning season since going 21-15 during the 2018-19 campaign. 
• The 7-9 WCC record for the Toreros is the third time in the last five years that has happened. 

THEY SAID IT

Head coach Steve Lavin on the growth of his team, especially with playing five freshmen routinely:

• "Measurable progress, that's what this (conference) season has been about. A year ago, won 11 games overall. Now we're at 17 with an opportunity to pick up some more wins in the conference tournament. In league play, a year ago we were at four wins and now we're at seven. That's progress as you climb the ladder in the West Coast Conference. It's difficult, it's challenging, but our players are taking strides in the right direction, both individually in their development and then as a group playing a good brand of basketball." 

Senior guard Deven Dahlke on being ready to make timely three-pointers. 

• "Just be ready. Stay down and ready. Coach is always preaching staying down, getting ready to shoot anytime he catches it. It's really just being prepared and getting ready to shoot every time I catch it and not be afraid to shoot."

Junior guard Turner on Wayne McKinney III getting back on track heading into the conference tournament: 

• "He's going to be a vital part for us. He is our point guard. He is our leader in the locker room. I can't say enough good things about him. We need him ready. That's good to see him come back and have a good game going into the tournament because we don't win without him."

UP NEXT 
The Toreros head to Las Vegas, Nevada for the West Coast Conference Tournament, which will take place from March 7-12 at the Orleans Arena. 

USD is locked into the No. 5 seed and will begin play against the winner of the 8/9 game with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. San Diego is scheduled to tip off its first WCC Tournament game on Friday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.