Toreros Triumph in WCC Debut, Wrapping Up 2024 on a High Note!

SAN DIEGO – San Diego Men’s Basketball concluded 2024 with a WCC-opening 75-65 victory over Pacific in the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Monday evening.
 
A collective effort propelled USD to success, with four distinct players achieving double figures in scoring and a total of nine players combining for a season-high 20 assists and six achieving a season-best 11 steals with merely 11 turnovers.
 
Senior center Steven Jamerson II topped the team with his initial double-double for the season, netting a season-high 21 points and capturing 11 rebounds. Coming off the bench, junior guard Kjay Bradley Jr. excelled in facilitating the offense with a team-tied season-high of seven assists — all during the second half — along with 10 points.
 
San Diego surged ahead by as much as 14 in the first half, but a 50%+ shooting performance from the Tigers, both from the field and beyond the arc, allowed the visitors to seize the lead early in the second half. Graduate guard Kody Clouet, in his second game back from injury, delivered three significant 3-pointers, igniting a 13-0 and eventual 21-2 run for the Toreros while Pacific struggled with a dismal 1-15 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half, enabling USD to regain a substantial lead for good.
 
The Toreros notched their fourth victory of the season, the first in six games during December, and their first conference opener victory since 2017.
 
Notable

• The Toreros achieved their first WCC-opener win since defeating San Francisco on Dec. 28, 2017, when the team subsequently won the first three games of conference play
• Set team season-highs in assists (20, previous 16) and steals (11, previous 10)
• A season-best nine different Toreros contributed assists
• Steven Jamerson II registered the fifth Torero double-double of the season, the first with over 20 points; the 21 points also marked a personal season-high with nine successful field goals … He doubled the single-game best +/- for a Torero (+28, previous +14)
• Kjay Bradley Jr. achieved his 10^th game in double figures this season, marking his second game with a team-best seven assists
• Kody Clouet, back from injury, made multiple three-pointers for the first time since the season opener on Nov. 6
• Senior forward Bendji Pierre contributed 13 points on three successful 3-pointers, scoring USD’s initial eight points of the game
• Sophomore forward Santiago Trouet maintained his consistent performance, finishing two rebounds shy of his fifth double-double of the season, also scoring 13 points with eight rebounds
• San Diego fell just one point short of their season-best 76 points

 
How it Unfolded

• The same lineup as Saturday took the court, with freshman guard Tony Duckett making his second consecutive start
• Pierre got the home team off to a strong start, scoring the first eight points for the team including two three-pointers
• San Diego scored on five consecutive possessions, leading to the first timeout of the game, ahead 17-9
• Both teams seized momentum at times, but USD took full advantage of their size in the paint and Pacific turnovers, leading 30-17 with 6:40 remaining in the first period
• A Tiger 8-0 run allowed them to close the gap to 5, eventually stopped by a San Diego three-pointer
• At halftime, USD led 35-31, while Pacific shot over 50% in all categories, and San Diego committed just five turnovers alongside eight steals, highlighted by Pierre’s 10 points
• Pacific managed to tie the game early in the second half with a three-pointer — fortunately for San Diego, the Tigers then missed their next 13 attempts from beyond the arc for the remainder of the game
• The teams went three minutes without scoring before the visitors took their first lead of the game six minutes into the second half, going on a 7-0 run to seize a five-point advantage
• A transformative 13-0 and 21-2 run by USD unfolded over six minutes, turning the game around, ignited by Clouet’s first successful 3-pointers since Nov. 24, alongside Jamerson II’s work in the post and additional deep shots from Bradley Jr. and Pierre
• The Toreros remained undaunted by foul troubles, a factor that hindered them previously, extending to an eventual 15-point lead at 64-49
• USD closed out the contest at 75-65, shooting 53.6% from the field and 50% from three-point range in the second half, both exceeding 45% for the game

 
What’s Next
The Toreros will proceed with their home conference series, facing off against Santa Clara in the first game of 2025 on Thursday, Jan. 2 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion at 7 p.m., with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
 
Post Game Remarks
Senior Center Steven Jamerson II
 
On the significance of the win…
It’s fantastic; we haven’t experienced a victory in quite a while. It feels almost forgotten what it’s like to win, so to achieve this win as we approach 2025 is incredible, it’s immensely encouraging. This will lay the groundwork for additional victories to come. Starting WCC play successfully, right? 
 
On achieving his first double-double of the season…
I’m thankful thatmy efforts are finally yielding results, and I’m genuinely engaging in the tasks I ought to be tackling. I hope to maintain this momentum and assist the squad in achieving victory in the most effective manner possible.
 
On what excelled as a group tonight…
We commenced impressively, passing the ball, sharing the possession, and playing solid defense. I’m aware we managed to keep their three-point shooting percentages quite low, and ultimately, making stops on the defensive side was crucial in securing the win.
 
Graduate Guard Kody Clouet
 
On the sensation of securing the win…
It feels fantastic. It has been a challenging stretch, but kicking off WCC play at 1-0 is incredibly gratifying for all of us.
 
On his performance shooting the ball tonight…
It felt amazing today. I’m just thankful my teammates were able to locate me in advantageous spots. It was tough at times, but hopefully, we can continue to build on this energy and keep watching the ball go through the hoop.
 
On the encouragement from his teammates…
That was truly wonderful. It just demonstrates that everyone on the bench is cheering for you. All the coaches and players made me feel valued out there.
 
On how to carry this momentum into 2025…
We’ve had some really productive practices recently. We just need to keep progressing, progressing, progressing, and progressing. It’s great to get a win, and we must persist with that energy.
 
Head Coach Steve Lavin
 
Opening Remarks…
We’re pleased to achieve a win. Returning to the success circle is crucial for our morale, and being able to do it at home in the initial game of conference play was fantastic. As we wrap up 2024, we’ve got some momentum moving into 2025, and this was a significant week for us. Securing this victory is important as we gear up for Santa Clara; our players are in the right mindset and intend to seize this opportunity, which hinges on our preparation for Santa Clara.
 
On what it signifies to secure the win…
Our players have experienced a couple of solid weeks of practice. I believe we’ve made strides. Sometimes your team is improving but doesn’t translate into a win. Conversely, there are moments when you win games but are actually falling behind. While that sounds paradoxical, we’ve explicitly discussed this; even though we hadn’t achieved a breakthrough with a win until tonight, we were indeed making some progress, especially defensively. I felt that tonight we executed a couple of significant runs, a 13-0 and a 21-2 run that was critical and allowed us to pull ahead. UOP did well to respond after our strong start — they came back after we led by 14 in the first half — and ultimately, they gained the lead in the second half. Basketball is a game of runs, and you anticipate that when your opponent is striving to outplay you, but in the end, we had the decisive run that enabled us to secure the victory.
 
On Jamerson II’s performance in the success…
He navigated some foul trouble and still posted quite impressive statistics regarding his shooting percentage. We capitalized on our size tonight; UOP played a smaller lineup for most of the game, so our ability to attack the interior for close shots was significant, and Steven was pivotal in that aspect.
 
On the team’s ball-sharing ability…
20 assists was incredibly encouraging. I believe this is the highest number of assists we’ve recorded this season. Nine different players contributed assists. Multiple players were sharing the ball, seeking out the open man, and when that happens offensively, good outcomes are likely. We’ve struggled with turnovers at times. However, tonight, we only committed 11 turnovers. That results in more attempts at the basket, and also aids your defense, because when you avoid live-ball turnovers, you’re forcing opponents to contend with your set defense. Thus, a strong offense typically complements a strong defense. I also thought that while we were in difficult phases during the game, we maintained our composure and particularly rose to the occasion in the second half. It was an impressive and dominant performance.
 
On how the team united around Clouet…
We have some fantastic young individuals in our program, and you can sense their authentic excitement. They are truly happy when their teammates excel, which is a wonderful trait to have as a team, as they genuinely care about one another. Kody has faced challenges with a back injury, leading to some early season shooting difficulties. He also missed several games, so he’s working on regaining his conditioning, timing, and rhythm. I’m very pleased; I think he’s dealt with this tough period with maturity, which comes from experience, and it’s one of the qualities we genuinely value in Kody. He acts as an extension of our staff on the court, given his age and experiences. Although we won’t call him ‘Grandpa’, he might fall under the ‘Papa’ category due to his vast experience.
 
On transitioning from 2024 into 2025…
I’m excited to return to the practice court and continue our defensive improvement. In the second half, we really tightened our defense. We restricted them to just 7% from beyond the arc in the second half, after they shot 57% and scored heavily from three-point range in the first half, as well as overall from the field. We limited them to 42% shooting from the field and 23% from three-point range. So, we achieved all our defensive objectives, which more often than not leads to victory. We must continue to enhance our performance on both ends of the court tonight. Reentering the win column is crucial for our morale because it enables you to approach practice with a bit more enthusiasm, a spring in your step, as they say. We want to make the most of this opportunity and defend our turf in league play at home. Santa Clara defeated us two out of three times last year, and they concluded our season in the West Coast Conference tournament in our second game in Las Vegas. Therefore, there’s plenty of motivation. It’s 2025, and we’re beginning a new year — almost a fresh start and reset; league play does that, as does the start of the new year.