Whittier, Calif. - Second-seeded Loyola Marymount, ranked No. 11 nationally, used a 6-0 run to take a 7-2 lead after one quarter and held on for a 13-11 win over No. 7 seed Pomona-Pitzer in the Western Water Polo Association quarterfinals on Friday afternoon at Whittier College.
The loss drops the Sagehens to 14-16 on the year, and they will move on to face the loser of the next quarterfinal between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Air Force tomorrow in the consolation bracket. LMU, which was led by four goals from Milutin Mitrovic, will face the winner in the semifinals.
Senior Jason Cox (Arnold, Md. - pictured, photo by Becky Gaut) had five goals, matching his season high, to help the Sagehens get back into the game, including a five-meter shot to start the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 12-9. After senior Mark Hudnall (Los Altos, Calif.) had a steal, sophomore Clayton Hardman (Old Greenwich, Conn.) tallied his first goal to make the score 12-10 with 7:09 still to play.
Pomona-Pitzer then had five possessions to try to cut the lead to 12-11, but the Loyola Marymount defense held tough before finally getting a goal from Jon Colton on a 6-on-5 with 1:43 left. The Sagehens answered with a 6-on-5 goal of their own from senior Cody Moore (San Dimas, Calif.) to make the score 13-11 and keep their slim hopes alive, but LMU was able to get a steal on the final Pomona-Pitzer possession to seal the win.
Hudnall and Cox scored two goals in rapid succession to give the Sagehens an early 2-1 lead, but Loyola Marymount scored the next six goals to take a seemingly commanding 7-2 lead after the first stanza, behind three goals from Collin Walters. However, Cox broke the run with a goal to start the second quarter, and tallied two more to help Pomona-Pitzer close within 8-5 by the halftime break.
Loyola Marymount started the second half with two straight goals to match its largest lead at 10-5, but the Sagehens chipped away, as freshman Phillip Clayman (Clovis, Calif.) scored to make to 10-6, and junior Ryan Higgins (Orinda, Calif.) converted a five-meter to make it 10-7. Sophomore Stephen Vint (El Cajon Calif.) answered a Loyola Marymount goal to cut the lead to 11-8, before the Lions scored to make it 12-8 heading into the fourth quarter.
Tyler Hill (Lafayette, Calif.) had 11 saves after a slow first quarter, several of which were pivotal to keep the Sagehens in striking distance in the second half. Kyle Testman had 14 saves for the Lions, including a key one from close range with just under three minutes to play to keep the score 12-10.
