California Baptist University
#2 University of Southern California
MWP Preview: CBU Embarks on NCAA National Tournament Journey on Friday Against USC
12/4/2024 2:05:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist men's water polo program is headed to Northern California to compete in the 2024 NCAA National Tournament beginning Friday evening. The Lancers drew two-seeded USC for their first-round opponent and will kick off their national tournament journey at 4 p.m. on December 7th at the Avery Aquatic Center on Stanford University's campus.
After earning their first West Coast Conference Tournament Championship, Kevin Rosa's squad is set to participate in the national tournament for just the second time in DI program history. The Lancers head into the national tournament with a 23-12 overall record and picked up three wins at the WCC Tournament against Santa Clara, Pacific, and San Jose State.
USC bested UCLA in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament championship game on Sunday to earn an automatic bid, forcing UCLA to secure an at-large bid as the two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans will enter their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance with a 21-5 overall record and defeated Austin College, Stanford, and UCLA on their way to becoming the 2024 MPSF Tournament Champions. USC currently sits in a three-way number-one ranking tie with UCLA and Fordham.
By the numbers, Max Miller and Robert Lopez Duarte currently lead the scoring charge for the Trojans, scoring 47 and 54, respectively. The Lancers will also need to keep an eye on Stefan Brankovic as he leads USC with a team-high 30 assists. Bodhi Bowden leads the way for California Baptist with 81 goals, while newcomer Andrea Nuzzo trails with 67. Toring Stanley has risen to the occasion this season as a playmaker for the Lancer attack, tallying 68 assists while firing off 61 goals of his own.
The winner of the match between CBU and USC will face either three-seeded Fordham or Long Beach State on Saturday, December 7th, during the semifinals of the national tournament. All games will be streamed this weekend at NCAA.com, and fans can catch live stats on 6- 8.
