LA JOLLA, Calif. — The 13th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team held a lead at halftime but ultimately fell to No. 8 UC Santa Barbara, 12-8, Tuesday in non-conference action at Canyonview Aquatic Center.

The Tritons dropped to 2-5 while the Gauchos improved to 4-3.

It was the second time the two squads had met in a 10-day span. On Sept. 4, UCSB defeated UC San Diego 20-17 in overtime during the Triton Invitational in La Jolla.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Tied 3-3 after the opening quarter, UC San Diego out-scored UCSB 2-1 in the second frame to take a 5-4 advantage into the break. However, the Gauchos struck for eight goals in the second half, four in the third quarter and another four in the fourth. The Tritons tallied just three more scores, two in the third and one in the fourth. 

Seven different Tritons found the back of the net during the game. Redshirt freshman Brendon Fezzey scored twice to record the first multi-goal game of his career. Also scoring were Manuel Augusto, Rhys Bugelli, Max Carrillo, Connor McManigal, Luca Rago, and Miles Wilson. Kaden Likins assisted on three goals, equaling his single game career-high. The junior has now registered a trio of assists five times.

Alexander Nemeth, who played the entire game in net for UC San Diego, established a new career-high with 15 saves.

UC Santa Barbara got four goals from Dash McFarland while Mason Chambliss and Tommy Hawkins scored two apiece. Two of McFarland's goals came in the second half.

Gaucho keeper Danny Roland played the second half and made five stops to earn the victory.

FROM HEAD COACH MATT USTASZEWSKI
"We knew it would be a very challenging matchup and we did a good job of containing their centers, especially in the first half. Credit to UC Santa Barbara. They came down here and closed the game out properly, while unfortunately we didn't capitalize on our opportunities. We will look to learn from this experience and are eagerly awaiting our next opportunity to demonstrate our growth as a team."

TRITON TIDBITS
• With a goal and an assist tonight, Bugelli is now tied with Vedran Latkovic for the team lead in points (25).
• Bugelli is the lone Triton to have scored in all seven of the team's games this season.
• Wilson has registered at least one assist in six of seven games and has multiple helpers in three.
• Likins has at least one assist in his last five outings and has totaled seven over his last three games.
• After tonight's 15-save performance, Nemeth has hit a double-digit save total three times this season.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays two more matches this week, both of them on the road. On Sept. 16 the Tritons play at Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) opponent Concordia before facing off against seventh-ranked Long Beach State the next day.

The annual Battle of the Kings is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. when Loyola Marymount visits Canyonview Aquatic Center. Last season's edition saw almost 1,000 fans witness the Tritons defeat the Lions with a Vedran Latkovic goal with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation.

Tickets for home matches are available for purchase here. UC San Diego students are admitted free to all home games.
 
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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.