UCLA defeated California Baptist University 21–9 in men’s water polo at Spieker Aquatics Center on Oct. 10. Bode Brinkema scored a career-high five goals for the Bruins. UCLA built a large first-half lead and never allowed the Lancers back into the game.
How the game unfolded
California Baptist scored first, but UCLA answered to lead 7–1 after the opening quarter. The Bruins extended their advantage to 12–3 at halftime. Peter Castillo and Wade Sherlock each finished with three goals for UCLA.
The teams scored five goals apiece in the third quarter before UCLA outscored CBU 4–1 in the fourth. Paulo Hernandez led the Lancers with two goals. The result moved UCLA to 16–1 overall, while California Baptist ended the match 20–5.
CSB Take
UCLA settled the direction of the game with its response to CBU’s opening goal. The Bruins then had enough scoring balance to maintain the margin across the second half. For the Lancers, the most useful review starts with the opening quarter, where an early advantage became a deficit that proved too large to repair.
