LINKS: Tickets | #LIONSTRONG | Give to LMU Athletics | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter

SANTA CLARA -- The Loyola Marymount women's water polo team broke the third-place game wide open after falling behind in the third. The Lions scored 12 of the game's final 13 goals to defeat Santa Clara, 12-4, on Sunday.

The Broncos jumped out to an early 3-0 lead within the game's first four minutes, but LMU showed a response. Sage Pfeiffer put the Lions on the board with her powerplay goal with 2:14 to play in the first. Hana Vilanova closed out the quarter with an even strength goal to make it a 3-2 deficit.

The second quarter was all Lions as a pair of Caitlin Schafer goals opened the period and gave LMU its first lead of the day. The senior all-conference performer finished with a game-high five goals, her second-best scoring outburst since her season opening seven-goal game.

Vilanova again added a goal in the final minute and a half of the quarter to push LMU's lead to 5-3 at the half.

The Lions started the third with two goals from Kiana Etrata sandwiched around Vilanova's third goal. All three were assisted by Schafer, who finished with four assists and a career-best nine points.

A 5-meter goal by Santa Clara broke LMU's streak of eight unanswered goals and made it a 8-4 game heading into the final quarter.

Schafer scored her final three goals in the fourth quarter, while Katie Hungerford accounted for the other.

Schafer's 67 goals on the season is the eighth-best single season scoring year in program history and her 127 career goals jump her ahead of Assistant Coach Diana Romero's 126 from 2008-11 for 13^th all-time in LMU history.

Support LMU's 22 intercollegiate teams and its student-athletes through scholarships and team support by joining the Lions Athletics Fund. Your help will make LMU #LIONSTRONG.