DAVIS, Calif. -- Senior Michael Plastino finished with four goals and seven total points, while senior Nir Gross added his fifth hat trick of the season, as the No. 8 UC Davis men's water polo team used a big second quarter to pull away from No. 19 Air Force en route to a 14-8 victory on Friday afternoon at Schaal Aquatic Center.

The Aggies improved to 13-6 overall and remained unbeaten in Western Water Polo Association play with a 5-0 record. UC Davis, which won for the fifth time in its last six matches overall, extended its WWPA winning streak to 12 straight with the win.

The Falcons, who received a pair of goals from Sam Fuller among a group of seven players to find the back of the net, fell to 16-4 overall and 5-2 in league play.

Plastino's four goals tied his career high set earlier this year in a win over Mount St. Mary's, while adding a season-high three assists. The seven points eclipsed his previous season best of five set in the win over Fresno Pacific back on Oct. 16.

Gross' three goals were the most since a four-goal outing at Concordia on Oct. 8, while Holden Neach and Logan Anderson each chipped in a pair. Spencer Towill, Levi Murtaugh, and Connor Norton, also found the back of the cage in the win, while Aleix Aznar Beltran and Will Nomura added a pair of assists.

After Air Force struck for the first goal of the day, Plastino's first tied the score at the 3:41 mark and opened a run of three straight for the Aggies to take the lead. The Falcons scored just before the end of the first quarter to make it a one-goal game and Fuller added his first of the day at the start of the second quarter to tie the match at three apiece.

That's when UC Davis erupted, as five different players contributed to a 5-0 run to close out the first half, giving the Aggies a commanding 8-3 lead. Plastino and Gross each scored in a tight third period for a 10-4 advantage, but the Falcons did not rest, scoring three straight to make it a four-goal contest with 4:51 to play.

Towill then netted his goal 20 seconds later to stop the bleeding, followed by goals from Neach and Gross, as UC Davis rode out the clock to ice the win.

Plastino finished with a match-high seven shots, while Anderson added six more, as the Aggies finished with a 34-24 shot advantage and shot .412 for the match -- includng 5-for-8 (.625) on the powerplay.

Aaron Wilson made four saves in net before being relieved by Duncan Creed midway through the fourth, as Creed finished with two stops, including denying the Falcons on a five-meter.

After a short break, UC Davis returns to the pool later tonight, hosting WWPA newcomer Biola at 6 p.m.

NCAA MEN'S WATER POLO
#8 UC DAVIS 14, #19 AIR FORCE 8
Schaal Aquatics Center • Davis, Calif.

AF -- 2-1-1-4--8
UCD – 3-5-2-4--14

AF GOALS: Grant Snyder 1, Sam De La Cruz 1, Sam Fuller 2, Ryan McLaughlin 1, Kaito Ham 1, Jacob Yi 1, Larsen McCarroll 1
UC DAVIS GOALS: Logan Anderson 2, Spencer Towill 1, Nir Gross 3, Michael Plastino 4, Levi Murtaugh 1, Connor Norton 1, Holden Neach 2
UC DAVIS SAVES: Aaron Wilson (27:09) 4, Duncan Creed (4:51) 2
 

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