Box Score CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team's leading scorer, senior Annie Kuester, was at it again on Sunday, tallying a hat-trick for the Gauchos (9-5) against No. 8 Princeton (5-2, 1-1 CWPA), but it was not enough to overcome the Tigers as Santa Barbara fell, 9-7, in their final matchup of the Crimson Classic.
 
FROM INTERIM HEAD COACH EMMA MYALL
"We've played so many games these past three weeks the girls have been fighting through the tired," Myall said. "Today it was the fourth game of the weekend and 14^th game in the last four weeks and so the tired finally hit us. We could have won that game."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Sunday's matchup began as a defensive battle, with neither team getting on the scoreboard for the first five minutes of action before Princeton broke the deadlock. Kuester was quick to respond, scoring her first of the day to tie the game at 1-1, but the Tigers would re-take the lead before the buzzer sounded to end the quarter.
 
Imani Clemons, who herself had a tremendous weekend at the Crimson Classic, stepped up with the next Gaucho goal, providing the first score of the second quarter and tying the game at two goals apiece. Three minutes later, Kuester gave the Gauchos their first lead of the day, 3-2, but Princeton tied the game before halftime.
 
Again, Santa Barbara was the first team to score in the third quarter, with Christina Mullane converting a five-meter penalty to put the Blue and Gold back on top, 4-3, less than 30 seconds into the period. However, the Tigers went on a 3-0 run over the next seven minutes, with Mullane scoring her second goal of the quarter to stop it, albeit with only 43 seconds left in the frame. When the third quarter buzzer sounded, Princeton led, 6-5.
 
The Tiger lead lasted just two and a half minutes into the fourth quarter before Kuester completed her hat-trick, tying the scores at 6-6. The next few minutes proved to be decisive, though not in the way the Gauchos wanted. Princeton scored the next three goals to take a 9-6 lead, and although Clemons scored her second of the day to reduce the arrears, it was with just four seconds left. The game finished 9-7 in favor of the Tigers.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos have next weekend off before returning to action at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, hosted by UC Irvine Feb. 21-23.