California Baptist University
Loyola Marymount
Coming Up Close
11/10/2013 1:06:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
WESTCHESTER, Calif. –No. 20 California Baptist University was narrowly edged, 13-12, Saturday afternoon by the No. 12 Loyola Marymount Lions, in a game that featured the top two WCPA scorers in CBU's Matt Puig and LMU's Milutin Mitrovic. The two scorers entered the game with 57 goals apiece.
After Cameron Custance's goal at 2:44 broke an 11-11 late fourth quarter tie, LMU scored twice in the final 1:47, including the game-winner with 36 seconds remaining.
With a chance to tie, David Rodriguez drew an ejection setting up Keith Jizmejian for a shot on goal in the final seconds, but a Lion blocked the shot. The Lions used a 5-2 goal advantage, four from Mitrovic, in the fourth quarter to erase CBU's 10-8 lead after three quarters.
For the Lancers own 4-2 run, Puig scored two of his three goals in the third quarter in a back-to-back scoring swing that erased the Lancer's one goal deficit and lifted them to an 8-7 lead with 6:15 left in the third.
Both Jake Jizmejian and Custance, CBU's other leading scorer with three goals, scored over the final 2:35 of the quarter for the 10-8 lead, matching the game's largest advantage since CBU led 4-2 early in the second quarter. Custance also recorded four steals while Eric Carnohan finished with three assists.
LMU scored on five of its eight 6-on-5 opportunities while CBU could only convert on three of its nine, including its first go-ahead goal by Cody Wetherbee with 3:40 left in the first quarter following Keith Jizmejian's goal at 4:47. Rodriguez scored two goals in the second quarter leading to a 6-6 tie at halftime.
Goalkeeper Joseph Moorman recorded eight saves, including three in the fourth quarter.
With the loss, CBU falls to 14-14 and concludes its inaugural season in the WWPA at 0-5. CBU returns to the Lancers Aquatics Center on Saturday, November 16 for its final two games of the season, facing Fresno Pacific at 9 a.m. and Concordia at 3 p.m.
