DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior attacker Max Somple netted a career-high four goals while freshman center Nir Gross buried the game-winner with under a minute remaining in the fourth, lifting No. 9 UC Davis to a 11-10 win over No. 15 Loyola Marymount in Western Water Polo Association men's action at Schaal Aquatics Center Thursday night.

The Aggies improve to 15-6 for the year and remain unbeaten at 5-0 in conference. The Lions fell to 11-12 overall and 4-2 in WWPA play.

Somple's four goals led all players in the contest. Senior attacker Marcus Anderson added two goals and three assists, while Holden Tamblyn, Nick Coufal, Yurii Hanley, Jack Stafford and Gross each scored one. Goalkeepers R.J. Quigley and Jonah Addington split the net chores equally, finishing with four saves and one steal apiece.

For LMU, five players -- Blazo Mitrovic, Alexandros Athymaritis, Eric Reitmeir, Dayne Jagga and Joseph Shaw -- each hit two goals. Jagga also had five steals in the contest, all at two meters.

UC Davis ran out to a 4-1 lead, with Somple scoring his hat trick within the first five minutes of play. The Lions chipped away in the second quarter, eventually equalizing at 5-5 at the halftime break. Mitrovic drew a five-meter penalty then hit the ensuing shot to equalize with 1:19 left in the first half.

LMU took leads of 6-5 and 7-6 in the third quarter before UC Davis rallied to three unanswered goals. Anderson scored the 7-7 equalizer with 3:41 left, then assisted Coufal and Hanley for goals during the next minute of play. Meanwhile, the Lions left themselves short-handed in that pivotal stretch when both Athymaritis and Mitrovic were ushered out of the game on misconducts.

Shaw bookended the third-fourth quarter break with goals to knot the score back up at 9-9, then Reitmeier scored the go-ahead on a Daniel Arellano entry pass with 2:50, giving LMU a 10-9 edge. Gross set up Stafford for the 10-10 equalizer with 1:48, with Stafford finding the net despite a tough angle. Addington followed with a steal out of two meters to give the Aggies possession with just more than a minute left.

With 54 ticks left in regulation, Anderson entered a pass to Gross, who hit the go-ahead 11th UC Davis goal. LMU could not convert in its last possession, with an ordinary foul allowing the shot clock to effectively expire. The Aggies managed to control the ball in their backcourt to kill the remaining clock.

The Lions shot 10-for-26 for a .385 shooting percentage, more than 60 points better than their host's .324 (11-for-34). Both teams converted 2 of 4 on power plays.

The Aggies return to action on Saturday against UC San Diego, ranked 10th in the nation and now holding sole possession of second place in the WWPA. A UC Davis win would not only extend the streak of consecutive conference wins to 29, but would also clinch the top seed in the conference tournament later in November. Saturday's game time is 11 a.m. 
 

No. 15 LMU (11-12, 4-2)	2	3	3	2	-	10
No. 9 UC Davis (15-6, 5-0)	4	1	4	2	-	11

GOALS - LMU: Dayne Jagga 2, Alexandros Athymaritis 2, Blazo Mitrovic 2, Eric Reitmeir 2, Joseph Shaw 2. UC DAVIS: Max Somple 4, Marcus Anderson 2, Holden Tamblyn 1, Nick Coufal 1, Yurii Hanley 1, Jack Stafford 1, Nir Gross 1.

GOALIE SAVES - LMU: Robert Halligan 9 (32:00). UC DAVIS: R.J. Quigley 4 (16:00), Jonah Addington 4 (16:00).

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ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.