LOS ANGELES – No. 8 UC Irvine men's water polo closed out the Overnght MPSF Invitational with a 15-13 loss to No. 16 California Baptist Sunday afternoon at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
 
The Anteaters (7-5) trailed for most of the game, but took the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Lancers (8-5) then outscored UCI, 4-1, over the final six minutes to take the 11th-place game.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Senior Samuel Otta, junior Wyley Dale, senior Luka Krstic, and junior Gage Verdegaal all finished with two goals. Krstic added four assists.
 
Senior Jasper Dale, sophomore Ethan Spoon, senior Jack Stevens, junior Johann Thrall, and sophomore Jayson Hubbard also found the back of the net. Senior goalkeeper Zayd Mahmoud recorded five saves and two steals.
 
Andrea Nuzzo paced CBU with four goals and three assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: The first three goals of the opening period came on 5-meter penalties with California Baptist taking an early 2-1 lead. Stevens and Spoon then converted at even strength to put UC Irvine on top, 3-2, at the 3:56 mark. Another CBU penalty goal started a 4-1 run that gave the Lancers a 6-4 advantage.
 
California Baptist kept the momentum in the second quarter, pulling ahead, 9-5, with 2:24 remaining. The Anteaters then used a late surge with strikes from Otta and Verdegaal closing the gap to 9-7 at the half.
 
UCI quickly knotted it up within the first two minutes of the third frame thanks to back-to-back goals from W. Dale and Verdegaal. The Lancers were then successful on their fourth 5-meter penalty shot. After CBU went back on top by two, the 'Eaters responded with tallies from the Dale brothers to make it 11-11.
 
Krstic scored at the 7:09 mark of the fourth to give UC Irvine its first lead since four minutes into the game, but California Baptist tied it up 35 seconds later. The two sides went scoreless over the next three minutes until the Lancers netted two-straight goals to go up, 14-12. CBU stayed out front the rest of the way, taking the 15-13 victory.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine heads to California Baptist for four games at the Lancer Joust on Friday, Sept. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 27.
 
NOTES
• CBU avenged a 15-14 loss to the Anteaters at the UCI Invitational on Aug. 29.
• The two teams will meet for a third time on Friday, Sept. 26, at the Lancer Joust.
• Luka Krstic recorded his third-straight multi-goal game and increased his team-leading season total to 24.
• Johann Thrall has scored in 10-straight games.