San Diego weekend college recap: USD’s USC win highlights men’s tennis, women’s teams’ fast conference starts

USD’s men deliver a statement against USC months after NCAA Tournament exit

The University of San Diego’s weekend included a notable result against USC that carried added context from the spring: in the 2025 NCAA Tournament men’s tennis second round, USC eliminated USD 4-2, ending a season in which the Toreros finished 25-4 and reached a program-high ranking of No. 6. USD had previously beaten USC 4-1 in a regular-season meeting on Feb. 27, 2025, underscoring how tight the gap had become between the programs.

That backdrop framed the significance of a new USD victory over the Trojans, positioned as an “avenging” result in local college coverage. While the latest match’s full box details were not uniformly available across official game recaps at publication time, the weekend outcome reinforced USD’s emergence as a consistent NCAA-caliber men’s tennis program and sustained the local rivalry’s momentum into the current academic year.

Men’s basketball reminder: USC’s perimeter shooting decided the December meeting in San Diego

The broader weekend snapshot also fits into a winter in which local programs have tested themselves against high-major opponents. In men’s basketball, USD faced USC on Dec. 9, 2025 at Jenny Craig Pavilion, leading early in the second half before USC pulled away for a 94-81 win. USC’s efficiency—especially from three-point range—proved decisive, and USD’s Dominique Ford scored 22 points in the loss.

The December result is relevant for context because it illustrates how close USD has been in stretches against power-conference competition, even when outcomes ultimately swung on shooting runs and late-game execution.

Women’s conference races: SDSU holds a perfect Mountain West record; USD’s WCC start has been uneven

In women’s basketball, San Diego State has maintained an undefeated start in Mountain West play. The Aztecs improved to 6-0 in conference with a 73-72 win at Utah State on Jan. 10, 2026, and earlier defeated Wyoming 72-55 on Jan. 3. Those results have kept SDSU near the top of the league standings entering the heart of January.

USD’s women, meanwhile, have faced early West Coast Conference headwinds. On Jan. 4, 2026, Saint Mary’s won 57-49 at Jenny Craig Pavilion, holding USD under 50 points and leaving the Toreros searching for their first WCC win at that point.

• USD men’s tennis: recent USC match carried postseason context from May 2025.
• SDSU women’s basketball: 6-0 Mountain West start highlighted by a one-point road win on Jan. 10.
• USD women’s basketball: offensive consistency remains a key early WCC storyline after the Jan. 4 home loss.

Across San Diego programs, the weekend’s takeaways centered on rivalry results, early league positioning, and how narrow margins—shooting stretches, defensive stops, and depth—are shaping conference races.