LOS ANGELES – LMU men's water polo fell behind by five goals in the third quarter to California Baptist, but worked the game back to a one-point difference before ultimately losing the team's first WWPA game of the season, 19-17.
 
CBU took 1-0 and 2-1 leads but Blazo Mitrovic scored on the ensuing home possession each time to tie the score twice in the early parts of the first quarter. Tyler Harvey gave LMU the lead for the first time with a goal at the 5:37 mark of the first. David Carrasco scored his first of six goals in the quarter, but CBU took a 5-4 lead after eight minutes of play.
 
The Lancers came out in the third quarter with the first three goals before Tyler Harvey and Luke Chandler put an end to the run. CBU took a 9-6 lead into the half.
 
LMU's deficit grew to 11-6 before Carrasco gave LMU a goal with 5:56 to play in the third. After CBU went ahead 12-7, Augie Renezeder and Blazo Mitrovic scored to put the Lions within three with 3:22 to play in the period. Each team would score once more in the quarter as Alexandros Athymaritis made it a 13-10 game with less than a minute on the clock.
 
On the opening possession, CBU added a goal before LMU scored three unanswered highlighted by two from Carrasco and one from Athymaritis to put the Lions within a goal with six minutes on the clock. CBU built their lead back up with four unanswered goals over the next three minutes of play. LMU did not give in as Carrasco scored and Chandler followed with two including a converted penalty shot. With a half a minute to play CBU scored on an offensive rebound and Carrasco added his final goal with seven seconds to play.
 
Carrasco led the team with eight points on six goals and two assists and Mitrovic added five goals on three goals and two assists. Robert Halligan made six saves in goal.
 
LMU will return on Saturday for the final home game of the season. The Lions will host Fresno Pacific at 11:00 a.m.