LA JOLLA, Calif.. – The ninth-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team dropped a 13-11 decision to seventh-ranked Long Beach State Wednesday evening at Canyonview Aquatic Center on campus.

With its third-consecutive loss the Tritons felll to 9-7 on the season. The Beach, which has won its last five games, improved to 14-4.

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HOW IT HAPPENED
Long Beach State got out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Matt Morris scored the game's first three goals over the opening 3:21. Alika Naone then struck at the 2:15 mark to put the Beach up by a four-spot and the visitors would stay in front the rest of the way.

UC San Diego's first goal came from Kaden Likins at 1:54 of the first. Less than a minute later, Manuel Augusto found the back of the net for the Tritons' second score. LBSU went up 5-2 with 50 seconds left in the first before Likins tallied again for UC San Diego with 24 seconds remaining, making it 5-3 at the end of one period.

Long Beach State out-scored UC San Diego 4-2 in the second quarter to put the Beach up 9-5 at halftime.

The Tritons held a 3-2 advantage in goals in both the third and fourth stanzas. A Vedran Latkovic goal late in the third quarter had UC San Diego within three at 11-8.

In the fourth, the Tritons closed the deficit to two goals three times. Calder Hilde-Jones scored early to make it 11-9. Augusto struck with 4:21 remaining to bring the score to 12-10. After the Beach scored to increase its lead to three once again at 13-10, Latkovic tickled the twine at 2:34 on a power play, but that would prove to be the final goal of the contest. 

The Tritons out-shot their opponent 36-30. They converted on four of 12 power play opportunities, while the Beach scored six times in 10 extra-man situations.

Hilde-Jones and Augusto each scored three goals for UC San Diego, while Latkovic and Likins finished with two each. Miles Wilson rounded out the scoring for the Tritons.

For Long Beach State, Morris finished with four goals and Rafael Real Vergara netted three. JJ Loubriel and Naone each had two.

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WHAT HEAD COACH DENNY HARPER HAD TO SAY



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TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego has totaled 237 goals over 16 matches, an average of 14.8 goals per game.
• Calder Hilde-Jones has scored at least one goal in all 16 games this season.
• Hilde-Jones has 12 multiple-goal games, including his last eight outings.
• The Tritons are 5-2 at home this season with both losses coming against Long Beach State.
  
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UP NEXT
The Tritons return to Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) play on Friday, Oct. 15, as they host California Baptist at 6 p.m.
 
For the team's full season schedule, click here.

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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.