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Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - Loyola Marymount overcame a halftime deficit to avenge an early season loss to conference-opponent, Fresno Pacific, on Saturday. The Lions (3-4, 1-0 WWPA) earned a Western Water Polo Association victory after topping the Sunbirds (1-5, 0-2 WWPA), 12-9, on the road.

LMU's Matt Braun scored the game's first two goals before FPU's Garrett Pickford scored the next two to make it a tie game after the first period. After Fresno Pacific opened the scoring in the second with an even-strength goal, it was consecutive goals by Matthew Knoedler and Neil LeVecke that flipped the lead back to the Lions. FPU''s Floyd Siebenaler scored twice in the final minute and a half of the second to put the Lions in a 5-4 deficit at the half.

Austin Clark tied it to start the third, but FPU took the lead back less than a minute later. It wasn't until LMU scored the next three goals, two by Joseph Shaw and one more by Braun that the Lions held the lead for good. The Sunbirds added another goal before Austin Clark scored consecutive goals.

The two teams scored two more apiece, highlighted by Shaw's third and Braun's fourth, to give LMU the 12-9 victory.

The Lions start conference play with the win, but now will shift its focus on LMU's home tournament starting at Burns Aquatics Center on Sept. 22-24. The three-day tournament will feature four tournament games on Friday at Burns, eight on Saturday, and four on Sunday. The tournament is being co-hosted by University of Southern California and will feature games at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center as well.

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