CBU Ends Week 4-0

Saturday, October 20

Santa Clara, Calif. (Santa Clara Pool)

9:00 AM

California Baptist University

Bucknell

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

10/20/2018 5:21:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

BUCKNELL BOX SCORE

WAGNER BOX SCORE

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Two more top-20 wins finished off a perfect week for California Baptist University, as it defeated 14^th-ranked Bucknell 16-7 and No. 20 Wagner 16-9 on Saturday.

The Lancers continue to get off to fast starts, as they went 4-0 on the week and posted three wins over top-20 teams in all. It moves 15^th-ranked CBU's record to 17-9 this season, while Bucknell drops to 16-4 and Wagner moves to 10-12.

"We played some great water polo," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "We came out well every game this weekend, and had five goals in all four first quarters this week."

CBU now owns 23 wins over ranked NCAA teams since it officially became a member in 2013, and has five of those victories have come this season. The Lancers resume Western Water Polo Association competition next week, visiting 18^th-ranked Loyola Marymount on Thursday at 3 p.m. and then hosting Santa Clara at noon before welcoming No. 16 Pomona-Pitzer for a non-conference game Saturday at noon and 5 p.m., respectively.

"It's nice to beat these ranked teams here but the conference wins are the most important," Rosa said. "We have to take the confidence we earned this week with us into next week, knowing if we do what we do well, good things will happen."

Defense was a bright spot for CBU in the first game of the day, as it held Bucknell to just two even-strength goals, with the other five coming on power plays. Tommy Lotero had 12 saves in just 24 minutes, while Gabe Thorne added seven more in the fourth quarter for CBU.

Nine Lancers scored in the game and five had multiple goals. Hunter Barnett and Dominick Nevarez each scored three times, while Logan Mena, Tanner Shore and Joseph Galgani had two goals each.

It was a high scoring first quarter, with goal from Zach Lowery giving the Lancers a 5-3 lead after seven minutes of play. Lowery's score started a 5-0 run that gave CBU an 11-4 advantage with 5:29 to play in the third quarter. Nevarez had three of those goals, while Shore, Barnett and Royce Daniel Laverne contributed to the run, as well.

CBU's final game of the day was actually pretty close early on, as it held an 11-9 lead on Wagner late in the third quarter. The Lancers ended the game with seven-straight goals over the final nine minutes. McDonough scored two of those goals, while Nevarez, Diacono and Johnson all added to the run, as well.

"I think our depth got to them a little bit, that was the plan and that's the plan in most games," Rosa said. "Even if you're covered, work hard and hopefully our depth and speed will win out in the end."

Thorne played all 32 minutes for the Lancers and finished with 12 saves and two steals in the cage. Christian Britton and Galgani had six and four assists, respectively in the win, while McDonough and Nevarez each had four goals against Wagner.