USC
UCLA
Men's Water Polo Beats No. 1 Bruins, 10-7
November 20, 1999 | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 20, 1999
LOS ANGELES - With four unanswered goals in the final 7:20, the No. 3 USC men's water polo team defeated No. 1 UCLA, 10-7, in a non-conference match at the McDonald's Swim Stadium on Saturday morning.
USC has beaten UCLA two out of three times in 1999.
The Trojans closed out the regular season with a 20-4 record, while the Bruins ended at 17-3. Both teams will take part in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament next weekend (Nov. 26-28) at UC Irvine, with berths to the NCAA Tournament (Dec. 4-5) on the line.
Several Trojan seniors shined in the last home game of their collegiate career, led by goalie Richard McEvoy, who had a career-high 16 saves. Driver Allen Basso scored two goals, including one to tie the match at seven at the end of the third quarter. Two-meter men James Castle and Peter Janov scored a goal apiece.
The match see-sawed back and forth throughout the match, and it was tied 2-2 at the end of the first quarter. UCLA took a 3-2 lead on Sean Kern's first of two goals in the quarter. But USC bounced back with a two-point goal by sophomore utility Ivan Babic, helping the Trojans to a 5-4 halftime lead.
After Basso opened the second half with a goal, junior playmaker Adam Wright scored three straight goals for the Bruins to take a 7-6 lead.
With 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Basso tied the match at seven apiece, and USC never looked back. The Trojans shut out the Bruins in the final quarter, while scoring three goals of their own, including the go-ahead goal by Babic with 3:35 to play.
UCLA (17-3) 2-2-3-0---7
USC (20-4) 2-3-2-3---10
UCLA Goals: Adam Wright 3, Sean Kern 2, Andrew Bailey 1, Matt Flesher 1.
USC Goals: Ivan Babic 2 (one 2-pointer), Allen Basso 2, George Csaszar 2, James Castle 1, Peter Janov 1, Stever O'Rourke 1.
Goalie Saves: Brandon Brooks (UCLA) 7, Richard McEvoy (USC) 16.
