SAN DIEGO – After trailing by as much as 13 points to Santa Clara in the second half, the Toreros tied the game with three minutes left to play but fell just short of an in-conference upset Thursday night at the JCP, 80-81.  
 
San Diego had one of its best games as a team on paper, dishing out 13 assists and turning over the ball just five times while hitting the 80-point mark for the first time. San Diego shot 60% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 77.8% from the charity stripe in a resilient second half.
 
Santa Clara, however, kept the Toreros at bay from wire-to-wire on high volume 3-point shooting – 12 made on 36 attempts – and clutch free throw makes down the stretch. It seemed as though whenever USD came within striking distance, the Broncos would make a timely big shot.
 
USD had four players score in double digits for the second straight game, led again by junior guard Kjay Bradley Jr. and sophomore forward Santiago Trouet.
 
Bradley Jr. scored 20 of his 23 points off the bench in the second half and contributed six assists with no turnovers to help USD claw back. Trouet recorded his fifth double-double of the season, scoring a career-best 21 points with 11 rebounds, also notching two steals and a block.
 
The Toreros fall to 4-11 on the season, 1-1 on a two-game home stand to start WCC play while the NET No. 76 Broncos improve to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in conference. San Diego has now come within six points of both of its Quad two games (last 71-77 at home against UC San Diego).
 
Notable

• Senior center Steven Jamerson II made it two straight in double figures, scoring 14 on six field goals and a game-high four offensive rebounds, six boards total and a block
• Freshman guard Tony Duckett was critical down the stretch for USD, making two big threes late to keep the Toreros in it and finishing with 10 points
• Bradley Jr. scored 20-plus points for the fifth time this season … combining with Trouet, the duo achieved the first occasion of multiple Toreros scoring 20-plus in a single game this season
• Sophomore guard Joey Chammaa was an X-factor in the first half for the hosts, scoring eight points and making multiple tough, hustle plays on both ends
• The Toreros five total turnovers far overshined their previous season-best of 11, accomplished last time out in a win over Pacific
• USD outscored Santa Clara 46-28 in the paint, 11-3 off turnovers

 
How it Happened

• Indicative of it's game plan for the full 40 minutes, Santa Clara came out of the gates shooting lots of threes while the Toreros seemed to be hitting every part of the rim
• An 0-8 field goal drought over five-plus minutes saw the Toreros fall behind, but a two and half minute scoring dry spell for SCU led to USD only trailing 11-20 at the under-eight timeout
• A four-point play from Chammaa ended the 0-8 Torero start from three, bringing the Toreros back to within single digits
• At the half, San Diego trailed 27-35, while only turning over the ball twice (the best half this season in that regard), the Toreros shot 29.4% from the field in the period
• The Broncos started the second half the way they started the first, occasionally making the big three to build the lead back to a night-high 13 (14:38 remaining)
• After previously having an 0-8 spell, USD would go on an 8-8 run from the field, guided by Jamerson II going to work underneath, Bradley Jr. dancing around the court to make nice plays and Trouet being fouled on a made three, bringing the game back within four
• Yet again, Santa Clara 3-point shooting kept San Diego at bay
• Trouet and the Toreros continued their success in the paint too, also converting at opportunities at the foul line
• A made three by Duckett tied the game for the first time since the first minute, this time at 3:02 to go
• The Broncos immediately countered with a three of their own and never looked back
• San Diego would get within two inside 30 seconds twice, but , Santa Clara made big shot after big shot, including conversions on each free throw down the stretch
• Bradley Jr. hit a deep three as time expired but the Broncos didn't foul, settling the final score at 80-81

 
Up Next
San Diego takes on 11-4 Oregon State for its first WCC away game of the season, at 3 p.m. on Saturday. OSU fell at the hands of LMU by 20 points on Thursday night. The matchup between the Toreros and Beavers will be streamed live on ESPN+ while inside coverage can also be found on the @USDMBB social channels.
 
Post Game Quotes
 
USD Head Coach Steve Lavin
 
Opening statement
We come away with a better understanding of who we are and who we can become. And that's where growth happens, five turnovers against a quality team. And you know, earlier in the non-conference schedule, we really struggled turning the ball over. That cost us games. We had as many as 23 turnovers in a non-conference game. We were plus 18 the paint against a rugged team, so the bounce back, you know, down 13 to be able to tie it with some opportunistic play. Both teams found their rhythm in the second half offensively, and I think in the first half we forced some shots. Ball wasn't popping or moving. We weren't getting ball reversals. We weren't making good choices offensively. I'm not sure if some of that was nerves, because it was a big game, or some guys feeling they were trying to carry us individually. We're at our best when we're playing together. And I thought in the second half – 60% from the field, 40% from the three, nine assists – we really took care of the ball. So, a lot of positives offensively in that second half, but defensively, still things we've got to work on, catching the drives level and optimal penetration. Also, you've got to tip the hat; they made some big-time shots. They were well defended, and just rising up and, you know, pure jump shots on the road. So that's the situation. We just got to say, you know, tip the hat to Santa Clara for being able to get to the foul line, make big shots and get a road win against a team that is improving and has persevered through a lot of injuries. But I think we've learned from our non-conference games and our best basketball still ahead of us.
 
On sophomore forward David Simon…
Yeah, we won't know. But you know, the hope would be he's back in February, okay, but not exactly … you know, how quickly does it heal?
 
On whether he's getting closer to a set rotation…
Well, that's the hope, you know. And Joey [Chammaa] is, you know, really giving us a spark. And if I were to, you know, look back in one aspect, it'd probably be trying to get him, you know, more minutes. But, we were minus nine on the boards and Benji [Pierre] had six rebounds for the second consecutive game, and he's always a threat to possibly make a three. But I'll have to continue to look at, how do we get, Joey into the game? Because he brings us a spark. He's capable of scoring. He's scrappy, which is why he gives us a spark. He's opportunistic in terms of being able to make the mid-range, get to the bucket, draw fouls, and he's really improved at the defensive end of the floor. So, we were looking at combinations as you're trailing. We weren't comfortable. Played one possession of zone. They hit a three on us, so we didn't play any zone the rest of the night. I think that was the right call, as we did ultimately tie it up, but the couple key possessions, we just couldn't get one more stop, we did tie it up, and they did some good things, isolating and dribble-driving to get themselves the foul line and getting higher percentage shots. So, proud of our guys, I told them, this was arguably our best game of the year. And there are times where a team is improving. We've talked about this before. I've had teams that are improving, that are in the midst of a losing streak; five, six, seven, or eight, but they're actually making progress. And I've also had teams that are winning six or seven in a row, that are regressing. So, it's an interesting thing. It could be fool's gold where you're having success, but actually you're really not trending the right way in terms of playing the game correctly and making, you know, winning choices, as little as they say. There were things offensively in first half, we were disjointed and forced some shots, didn't move. The ball didn't get to the second side, didn't probe the inside enough, took a lot of shots under heavy duress. Second half, our shooting percentages went up to 60 from the field, 40 from the three, because that thing was moving. And the assist-turnover ratio and the five turnovers, I'm not as sure. I'm not sure the last time we only had five turnovers in a game, I don't think it's happened during my last two years here. So that's good, 11 last game, five [tonight]; we're taking care of the ball more and more, conscious of ball security, which kept them out of transition, if you look at fast break points, right? We've been in here after games, and our turnovers fueled, you know, opponents, and we were still in the game, but we couldn't overcome the 31-10 fast break points, 36 points total off of turnovers. And tonight, you look, you know, they got three points [off fast breaks]. Both teams were playing in pretty high gear. So it was a … I mean, look at the 53-46 we out-score them by seven [in the second half], but because that first half, right, that's enough for them to win by one. But I mean, that's a high scoring affair, and you're in it.
 
On being in a close game late...
Exactly, you had to tie it up. It was just outside of three [minutes], 68-68. And, a lot of individual things, like Santi, another, strong game, right? Double-double. Steven [Jamerson II] with another, impressive performance.
 
On sophomore forward Santiago Trouet...
He's a very difficult matchup because he's skilled enough, you know, from behind the three, you have to honor that that opens up his drive game, and then he has a good touch off the dribble in terms of finishing shots and seizing the floor. So, he also could throw, you know, darts, precise passes to his teammates. I didn't see he had an assist tonight, but, he only had one turnover, two steals and a block. So, some really good things. I thought Tony [Duckett] was exceptional in the second half. Did he have all 10 points in the second half? [Eight]. Kjay was a plus-four, and Tony was a plus-three. They were the only not that the other guys … oh, and Joey was a plus one. So, I mean, our back court, combined for being a plus-seven against a good opponent. That's, the kind of game it was. You'll get them. [Santa Clara] had a lot of minuses, but they had two guys, right, let's see… wow, [SCU forward Camaron Tongue] was plus-14 in the game. He had was quietly good night. He's a tough player. Yeah, I was impressed.
 
On the upcoming two conference road games…
Yeah, now you're at conference play on the road, which is, you know, you're more razor thin, less margin for error.
 
On the last time he was in Corvallis…
Probably calling a game, I think probably I did like an Oregon State-Arizona game. Sean Miller was at Arizona, and Gary Payton, yeah, and his dad was there, that was the last time I think I was up there. And then as a coach, it would have been 2003. Ralph Miller Court, as good as it gets. And their basketball fans are some of the best because of their history going way back.
 
Junior guard Kjay Bradley Jr.
 
On whether he takes encouragement away from the game…
This is definitely encouraging for us, coming off of five, six losses, so moving in the right direction.
 
On whether he senses a difference in conference play…
Yeah, it kind of takes me back to like high school days. You get to see them twice; first time, you definitely want to beat them. Yeah, I'd say it's a better, like, atmosphere in conference.
 
On whether it's frustrating to be so close…
Yeah, I mean, it's frustrating, but that's basketball. There's a lot of other kids on scholarship that came to hit those type of shots. It's bound to happen. All we can do is get better.
 
On what he's learned making the jump to DI…
How to be a leader, how to stay poised and like take it play by play and then look at the next play. Don't dwell on that. It's good advice too. Thanks to coach Lavin.
 
On the progress in assisting without turning the ball over…
I always had it, I mean, but Coach Lav is kind of really forcing it out of me now. So, I mean, great. I like sharing the ball with the team, getting everybody happy, seeing everybody inside.
 
Sophomore Forward Santiago Trouet
 
On early take-aways in conference play…
I think that's a main positive thing we take away is that we're getting better. We're not getting worse. And even though we lost, if you look at the numbers, it was one of our best games, if not our best game. Second half, probably the best half we've played against a quality opponent.
 
On Santa Clara's shot-making ability…
Yeah, I was frustrated in the game. I was like, 'we're right there,' and they would hit a shot, or the ref would call a foul, and I was like, 'no way this is happening.' But yeah, we were close many times.
 
On what they take going into the next two-game road swing…
Yeah, I think we all … we just talked about in the locker room, and we take away that we can beat anyone. Maybe five games ago, we didn't think that way about ourselves, but now we have more confidence. We think we're dangerous and we can beat any team in the conference.
 
On the groove he's been in with good performances…
I just think I've embraced playing hard, next play, next play, and playing hard, that's the main thing that changed for me.