California Baptist University defeated UC Santa Barbara 14–12 in men’s water polo on Oct. 10 in Santa Barbara. The win came in the Lancers’ first conference match as a Big West member. Andrea Nuzzo scored four goals and added an assist for California Baptist.
How the game unfolded
The Lancers led 4–2 after the first quarter before Santa Barbara moved ahead 7–6 at halftime. The teams continued trading the advantage after the break. California Baptist scored three consecutive fourth-quarter goals after the match was tied 11–11.
Tanner McCreary finished with a season-high 15 saves for the Lancers. Nuzzo and Wyatt Bugbee were among the players who scored during the late run. Santa Barbara added one final goal but could not eliminate the two-goal gap.
CSB Take
California Baptist handled the late changes in momentum and finished the most important scoring sequence. Santa Barbara stayed competitive but could not answer the three-goal run quickly enough. For the Lancers, winning a close conference debut provides a clear example of the finishing and saves that decide a tight match.
