Thursday, March 18
Los Angeles
1 PM
California Baptist University
14
vs
19
UCLA
Lancers Make More History in School's First-Ever NCAA Championship Game
3/18/2021 10:41:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES – History was made as soon as California Baptist University men's water polo jumped in the pool on Thursday.
The sixth-ranked Lancers became the first program in school history to compete at the NCAA Championships on Thursday at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center on the campus of USC. It came against third-ranked national power UCLA, which is on the hunt for its 12th NCAA title in men's water polo.
CBU held its own and scored 14 goals on the defensive-minded Bruins, who came into the game giving up just over 10 goals a game. It was not enough to down the powerful Bruins, who pulled out the 19-14 victory.
The Lancers see their historic season and three-game winning streak come to a close with a 7-5 record. UCLA improves to 7-7 on the year and advances to the NCAA Championship semifinals to face top-seeded Stanford.
CBU gave UCLA a good test in the first round, with its 14 goals being the most goals the Lancers have ever scored in their previous 10 meetings in the all-time series. It was the third most goals scored against the Bruins this year and the most by a team ranked outside of the top-four. Second-ranked Cal is the only other team to score more than 13 goals on UCLA this year.
Senior leaders Gabe Thorne, PJ McDonough and Zach Lowery continued to lead CBU in the postseason. Thorne finished with 12 saves and two steals and McDonough scored a team-high four goals and also had an assist and drawn ejection, while Lowery chipped in two goals, an assist and drawn ejection.
Juniors Hunter Barnett and Joseph Griffin had big games. Griffin gave CBU two hat tricks on the day with three goals and an assist. Barnett was all over the place with two goals, two assists, two drawn ejections and a steal.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT
CBU came out on first and nearly matched UCLA goal-for-goal in the first quarter and trailed the Bruins by just one, 4-3, at the end of the first quarter. Thorne had four saves and a steal, while Barnett, Lowery and McDonough scored the goals in the opening eight minutes.
UCLA created a little separation, with a 5-1 run in the second quarter to go into halftime up 9-4. The Lancers just about went goal-for-goal with the Bruins in the third quarter, with five goals to UCLA's six.
Matt Olsen, Griffin, Lowery, Angel Sanchez and Riley Bumgardner all scored in the third quarter to make it a 15-9 game going into the fourth quarter.
The Lancers held nothing back and scored five more goals over the final eight minutes. McDonough and Griffin each scored twice in the final quarter, while Barnett added his second goal in the frame, as well.
McDonough scored first in the fourth to make it a five-goal game, 15-10, but UCLA rattled off the next two goals to keep a comeback out of reach up 17-10 with 5:49 to play.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Several of firsts were accomplished for the Lancers this year in what was a very unusual season, with a number of teams opting out of competing this winter/spring. CBU defeated a single-season record six top-10 teams this year and reached its highest-ever NCAA ranking at sixth overall.
The Lancers went on to win their first-ever Western Water Polo Association Championship and qualify for their first-ever NCAA Championships. Thorne was crowned the program's first WWPA Player of the Year, while Kevin Rosa earned his second-straight WWPA Coach of the Year honor and first outright award.
Lowery and McDonough joined Thorne on the All-WWPA First Team to mark the first season CBU had three players earned first-team conference accolades.
TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
UCLA advances to play the top overall seed, Stanford, on Saturday at 2 p.m. back at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Cardinal earned the No. 1 seed after winning the prestigious MPSF Tournament earlier Sunday.
All four of the MPSF's top teams earned berths to the NCAAs this year. Cal was tabbed the two seed after taking runner-up in the MPSF, and will take on the winner of USC and Bucknell's first-round game later on Thursday. For more information on the semifinals and finals, visit the NCAA Championship Tournament Central page.
The sixth-ranked Lancers became the first program in school history to compete at the NCAA Championships on Thursday at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center on the campus of USC. It came against third-ranked national power UCLA, which is on the hunt for its 12th NCAA title in men's water polo.
CBU held its own and scored 14 goals on the defensive-minded Bruins, who came into the game giving up just over 10 goals a game. It was not enough to down the powerful Bruins, who pulled out the 19-14 victory.
The Lancers see their historic season and three-game winning streak come to a close with a 7-5 record. UCLA improves to 7-7 on the year and advances to the NCAA Championship semifinals to face top-seeded Stanford.
CBU gave UCLA a good test in the first round, with its 14 goals being the most goals the Lancers have ever scored in their previous 10 meetings in the all-time series. It was the third most goals scored against the Bruins this year and the most by a team ranked outside of the top-four. Second-ranked Cal is the only other team to score more than 13 goals on UCLA this year.
PJ McDonough, the leading goal scorer of @TheWWPA, bringing the 🔥 today! #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/zqoKoHZo21
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 18, 2021
Senior leaders Gabe Thorne, PJ McDonough and Zach Lowery continued to lead CBU in the postseason. Thorne finished with 12 saves and two steals and McDonough scored a team-high four goals and also had an assist and drawn ejection, while Lowery chipped in two goals, an assist and drawn ejection.
Juniors Hunter Barnett and Joseph Griffin had big games. Griffin gave CBU two hat tricks on the day with three goals and an assist. Barnett was all over the place with two goals, two assists, two drawn ejections and a steal.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT
CBU came out on first and nearly matched UCLA goal-for-goal in the first quarter and trailed the Bruins by just one, 4-3, at the end of the first quarter. Thorne had four saves and a steal, while Barnett, Lowery and McDonough scored the goals in the opening eight minutes.
Hunter Barnett gets the Lancers on the board against #3 UCLA!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/8cNMTy1qdg
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 18, 2021
UCLA created a little separation, with a 5-1 run in the second quarter to go into halftime up 9-4. The Lancers just about went goal-for-goal with the Bruins in the third quarter, with five goals to UCLA's six.
Matt Olsen, Griffin, Lowery, Angel Sanchez and Riley Bumgardner all scored in the third quarter to make it a 15-9 game going into the fourth quarter.
The Lancers held nothing back and scored five more goals over the final eight minutes. McDonough and Griffin each scored twice in the final quarter, while Barnett added his second goal in the frame, as well.
McDonough scored first in the fourth to make it a five-goal game, 15-10, but UCLA rattled off the next two goals to keep a comeback out of reach up 17-10 with 5:49 to play.
Joseph Griffin droppin the 🔨 on the Bruins!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/YVzYTqdAIW
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 18, 2021
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Several of firsts were accomplished for the Lancers this year in what was a very unusual season, with a number of teams opting out of competing this winter/spring. CBU defeated a single-season record six top-10 teams this year and reached its highest-ever NCAA ranking at sixth overall.
🏆 COACH OF THE YEAR 🏆
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 7, 2021
Congratulations to Kevin Rosa on being named @TheWWPA's 2021 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row! #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/qsJiHA1aaB
The Lancers went on to win their first-ever Western Water Polo Association Championship and qualify for their first-ever NCAA Championships. Thorne was crowned the program's first WWPA Player of the Year, while Kevin Rosa earned his second-straight WWPA Coach of the Year honor and first outright award.
Lowery and McDonough joined Thorne on the All-WWPA First Team to mark the first season CBU had three players earned first-team conference accolades.
🏆 PLAYER OF THE YEAR 🏆
— California Baptist Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) March 7, 2021
Gabe Thorne is @TheWWPA's 2021 Player of the Year❗️ The senior goalie led the conference in saves (103), save percentage (52.6), GAA (10.50) and ranked sixth in steals (11) this season.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/i9StnrWQQ1
TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
UCLA advances to play the top overall seed, Stanford, on Saturday at 2 p.m. back at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Cardinal earned the No. 1 seed after winning the prestigious MPSF Tournament earlier Sunday.
All four of the MPSF's top teams earned berths to the NCAAs this year. Cal was tabbed the two seed after taking runner-up in the MPSF, and will take on the winner of USC and Bucknell's first-round game later on Thursday. For more information on the semifinals and finals, visit the NCAA Championship Tournament Central page.
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
2MD
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
G
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