INDIANAPOLIS, Calif. – The LMU women's water polo team showed that they belonged in the same pool as the reigning NCAA Champions. The Lions jumped out to a 5-2 lead and were tied deep in the third quarter before UCLA eventually pulled away to win, 11-8, and end LMU's historic season.
 
Golden Coast Conference Player of the Year Ruth Arino Ruiz wasted no time putting the Lions ahead 2-0 with a pair of goals less than two minutes into the team's first NCAA Championship appearance since 2012. After the Bruins tied the score at 2-2, Arino Ruiz scored a go-ahead goal to push LMU ahead, 3-2, after one period.
 
Carolina Magano converted a pair of 6-on-5 goals to give the Lions a 5-2 lead at the midway point of the second quarter. UCLA closed out the second quarter with the final three goals of the half to even the game at 5-5 at intermission.
 
Arino Ruiz pushed LMU back on top with a penalty goal 32 seconds into the half. A minute later, the Bruins tied the game at 6-all. At the five-minute mark, Arino Ruiz scored her game-high fifth goal to push LMU ahead, 7-6. UCLA scored three unanswered goals to take a 9-7 lead into the final minute of the third. Magano completed her hat trick with a goal with just 10 ticks left in the period to pull back within one heading into the final quarter.
 
The lone two goals of the fourth quarter came on UCLA's opening possession and then again at the 5:05 mark to solidify the three-goal lead for the 2-seed.
 
Alyssa Barnuevo recorded nine saves in her 32 minutes in the cage.
 
Arino Ruiz totaled six points with her five goals, assist, and steal.
 
The Lions returned to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2012 following a GCC Championship season.
 
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