SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team met No. 12 UC San Diego for the third time this season on Sunday, dropping a dramatic game to the Tritons, 7-6. Imani Clemons celebrated her birthday by scoring two of the Gauchos' six goals, the second year in a row that she has netted a brace on her birthday. The junior tallied twice at Biola on April 7, 2023.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sunday's game began as a defensive showdown, with UC San Diego scoring the only goal of the first quarter. The Tritons established a 2-0 lead to start the second before Cami Mras pulled the Gauchos back within one. However, the visitors tacked on another goal before the break to lead, 3-1, at halftime.
 
Santa Barbara raced out of the gates to start the second half, scoring four goals in the third quarter to take the lead. Annie Kuester scored inside the first minute to bring the Gauchos within a goal, then Clemons scored her first of the game on a 6-on-5 powerplay to tie the game at three. She completed her birthday brace just over two minutes later, giving Santa Barbara their first lead of the day. Drew Halvorson fired home another goal after a great spin move to put the Gauchos ahead by two, 5-3, at the end of the third quarter.
 
In the fourth, the Tritons answered with a four-goal frame of their own, out-scoring Santa Barbara 4-1 in the quarter to take the win. Leigh Lyter scored for the Gauchos in the frame, but UC San Diego tallied the game's final three scores.
 
UP NEXT
Santa Barbara has two games left before The Big West Championship, beginning on Saturday, April 13 at No. 2 Hawai'i. After that game, which begins at 3 p.m. Pacific Time, the Gauchos will return home for Senior Night against Cal State Fullerton on April 18.