The UCSD men’s water polo team gave Pepperdine University a scare before eventually losing 11-8 to the Waves at the Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu, Calif. The loss was the Tritons’ first of the season.
The Tritons started off slow as Pepperdine, ranked No. 4 in the nation, jumped ahead in the first quarter and posted three goals to UCSD’s one.
However UCSD came back with a strong second quarter in which they scored four straight unanswered goals, including two by senior Brett Allan, to take a 5-3 lead heading into the second half.
In the third quarter the Waves scored two goals to tie it up, but Triton Kellan Hori came through for UCSD and put the team ahead 6-5.
Goals by both Lonzo and freshman driver Josh Acosta again gave the waves the lead, 7-6. Triton freshman Brandon Borso scored a goal to tie the game with 39 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Tritons’ Jonathan Hopkins opened the fourth quarter with a goal to give UCSD an 8-7 lead, but it was UCSD’s last of the game.
Lonzo again hurt the Tritons, scoring his third goal of the game to knot the score at 8-8. With 3:07 left in the game, Pepperdine sophomore driver Scott Harvey notched his third goal of the game to give the Waves the lead for good. Lonzo scored again to give Pepperdine an insurance goal and Acosta rounded out the scoring with his second goal.
Pepperdine improved to 4-1 this year, while UCSD fell to 10-1.
