LAS VEGAS – "We all packed to stay for a lot longer." Those were the words of San Diego freshman Tony Duckett whose free throws clinched an 81-77 Torero win over Pacific in the first round of the WCC Basketball Championship, extending USD Men's Basketball's season.
 
Inside Las Vegas's Orleans Arena, after 21 lead changes and in the 12^th tie of the game, three seconds remained in the Credit Union 1 2025 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship opener when Duckett drew a shooting foul. He hit both shots to put USD up then got the interception on the ensuing inbound and nailed two more from the charity stripe to ice the victory.
 
For a second straight season, San Diego advances to the second round of the conference tournament. Tomorrow, they'll be back in Orleans Arena to face seventh-seeded LMU at 8:30 p.m. for a shot at the quarterfinal.
 
Duckett scored 21 points on 7-14 shooting from the field, while graduate guard Kody Clouet notched 20-plus in a second straight game. Senior center Steven Jamerson II tallied 18 with eight boards, three steals and two blocks. San Diego's 27-30 night at the free throw line proved critical while forcing 19 turnovers.
 
Notable

• The game featured 21 lead changes, a season-high for the Toreros, besting the previous high which was the USD two-point loss at Pacific on Feb. 6 (15)
• The Toreros improve to 2-0 in March (6-26 on the season)
• It is the second time all season and second time in the last three games that multiple Toreros have scored 20-plus (last at Washington State on Feb. 27)
• Clouet has now scored in double figures in five straight, Duckett in three straight now tied for the team lead with 15 double-digit games  
• San Diego collects it's first win away from home this season and first win in their Navy uniforms … USD is 1-1 overall on a neutral site

 
How it Happened

• It was a back-and-forth affair from the start, almost strictly from inside the paint
• Pacific took first advantage with a 6-0 run
• Sophomore forward David Simon got into early foul trouble with four personal fouls in the first half … he would not foul out with eight crucial minutes played in the second half, adding 13 points for USD on the night
• At the break, the Toreros trailed 33-39 while the Tigers were shooting 58.3% from the field with 15 made free throws … both teams had only one made 3-pointer in the period
• San Diego took a lead after trailing by eight early in the second half by way of a signature Jamerson II dunk
• The 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th lead changes of the night ensued
• Clouet got going offensively, as did Jamerson II
• Clouet hit a go-ahead 3-pointer inside three minutes remaining, the 21^st lead change of the game for a 74-71 lead
• Jamerson II fouled out before the two-minute mark
• Pacific would tie the game twice more, giving USD the ball with 13 seconds remaining
• With three ticks remaining, Duckett was fouled driving to the basket as he hit the go-ahead free throws had an interception on a football pass inbounds play, then hit two more free throws to complete the 81-77 win
• San Diego's final seven points were scored at the free throw line

 
Head Coach Steve Lavin
Opening statement…
Pleased for our players to now be 2-0 in the month of March, as we've said, "undefeated in March." That's what championship week, and conference tournaments are all about, it's a reset, a fresh start, a new beginning, and our team has taken advantage of it. We've seen it in practices, in terms of preparation, and then getting a win against Portland on Senior Day, and now opening up the West Coast Conference Tournament with a victory. With the challenging season we've had, I just couldn't be more proud of our players' resilient spirit, it's not easy when the losses are piling up and you're in the midst of a losing streak to keep your dauber up, come to practice with a good attitude, continue to encourage your teammates by being a good teammate, and eager to learn. That's what this group has done in spite of — in my experience — an unprecedented amount of injuries, and we've had 17 different starting lineups as a result. Yet (there has been) no excuses, they keep coming back from deficits, and even when we don't punch through to get to the winners circle, we hang around, with few exceptions. Saint Mary's, who stumped a lot of teams this year, it's more a complement to Saint Mary's than a knock on us, but they took us to the woodshed. There may have been one other game, but 98% of the games we just keep fighting back, and we did it again tonight. 21 lead changes, 12 ties, that's unique. A lot of runs in this game, basketball's a game of runs and there were a lot tonight, a lot of counterpunching. The free throws were the difference for us, 27 of 30, shooting 90% from the charity stripe, and that's something we've excelled at this year, but there were times this season where we didn't get to the foul line frequently enough, and tonight we got there frequently enough and made them. Pleased for (Kody Clouet and Tony Duckett) and all the players back in the locker room. 
 
On a rematch against LMU tomorrow night…
Up there, that was probably as heartbreaking of a loss as we've had all season. We were ahead, i believe up one, and we missed a dunk, we missed a layup, we missed the front end of a one-and-one, and we had a possession where we had an offensive rebound and could've just put it back in, we were up one and it would've put us up three and we actually dribbled it out behind the three point line and didn't end up getting a good shot off, it would've been a good play if we were down three, pass up a two pointer to get behind the arc and try to hit a three-pointer to tie it. But that game up there was one we felt was within our control to win — give Loyola credit because they found a way to win — but we really played well up there. At our place, it was back-and-forth but they dominated more of the game then the game up at Loyola. They're a good team with a lot of weapons, they create some matchup dilemmas. Stan and Lorenzo do a terrific job of deploying players — almost NBA style — to take advantage of a matchup that they feel will put their team in a competitive position to win games. Within your schemes you've got to have a number of coverages ready because depending on who has it going for them, they've got five or six guys on any given night that can give you 20-25 points. We'll have to think with this short turnaround that we play in the evening, so we can get back, hydrate, get our rest, and start doing our preparation for Loyola Marymount.  
 
Freshman Guard Tony Duckett
On going to the free throw line for a pair of game winning free throws…
It's the first game but it feels like any other game. All my teammates, we all stay really tight, I know I'm going in there with my brothers so I don't really have to worry about anything. Even when I missed the free throw they just said "keep your head up, you'll shoot another one, keep going" so it's really relieving to have people around me like that. 
 
On how it feels to get the first win…
We all packed to stay for a lot longer, so we wanted to win, we all expected to win, we're just ready to go to the next round.  
 
On his preparation for moments like this…
I've been watching college basketball since I was little, and all the work I've put in. My parents, my trainers, everybody around me, they always just tell me to trust my work. So everytime I get out there I just gotta play with no fear, because if I play scared then I'm not going to do what I really can do. 
 
Graduate Guard Kody Clouet
On his performance through the last couple games…
I didn't have the season I wanted to, we didn't have the season we wanted to at the beginning of the year, but we just kept coming back. I personally was dealing with a little bit of an injury, my back, but I'm feeling really good now, 100%, and I think that's helped a lot. Just playing confident, believing in myself and all the work that I've shown, and the journey, so just so happy to be here and be given this opportunity. 
 
On the confidence he had in Tony Duckett at the free throw line to win the game…
He missed one earlier, but I went up right to him when he got fouled there and said he's gonna knock this one down and he's gonna win us the game. Just so proud of this kid right here as a freshman, that's awesome to go win a game at the free throw line. 
 
On how his team has stuck together this season…
Coach calls it being "in the desert", but now there's some water, so that's awesome to see. I've never been a part of a team where we've only won four or five games this whole season, but we kept coming back every day with the same energy. I've never been a part of something like that and it's finally paying off.