The WCC will be on display in Malibu, CA on Thursday night as the San Diego Toreros take on the Pepperdine Waves. San Diego comes in with a record of 9-12 overall and 2-5 in the WCC. The Toreros are 9th in conference play just one spot ahead of tonight's opponent, Pepperdine. Pepperdine is 7-14 overall and 0-7 in the WCC, good for last place in the conference. The opening tap is scheduled for 9:00 pm EST.
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The San Diego Toreros head into Pepperdine looking to end a two-game losing streak against the only team in the conference without a win this season. This will mark the third straight road game for the Toreros and the team's chance to pick up their first win on the trip. San Diego has been off since last Thursday when the team fell at Portland, 88-83. San Diego's defense struggle in the loss, allowing Portland to shoot 61% from the field overall and 59% from 3pt range. Marcellus Earlington led the Toreros with a career-high 32 points while adding five rebounds and three assists. Sigu Sisoho Jawara chipped in with 20 points and four assists in the Toreros' loss. Lastly, Eric Williams Jr. finished with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
.@realdealcellus was locked in last night. ??
It's just the 17th time in program history a pl ayer has scored at least 32 points in a game.#GoToreros pic.twitter.com/Zil3ZI2axM
— San Diego Men's Basketball (@usdmbb) January 20, 2023
San Diego has struggled this season, particularly in conference play but it is not a result of the team's offense. The Toreros rank 43rd in scoring offense on the season. The team is ranked 166th in the nation in field goal percentage and 121st in 3pt field goal percentage. San Diego protects the ball well, ranking 33rd in the nation in fewest turnovers per game. The defensive side of the ball has been another story altogether for San Diego. The Toreros were ranked 354th in scoring defense. They are just 356th in the country in opponent's field goal percentage and 363rd in 3pt defense. San Diego is 233rd in total rebounding.
Key Injuries: The Toreros will be without forward Jaiden Delaire (hand), who is averaging nearly 10 points per game this season.