LOS ANGELES — The Long Beach State women’s water polo team (7-13) was crushed by No. 1 USC, 18-4, as the 49ers were outgunned by USC’s offense and had trouble penetrating the defense.
The ‘Niners came to Los Angeles having been outscored, 25-4, in their previous two meetings with the No. 1 team in the country. As the game started, the Women of Troy quickly scored in the second minute of play and ended the first period with a 6-0 advantage.
“We weren’t ready to play,” LBSU head coach Gavin Arroyo said. “We were intimidated and we were exposed quickly.”
In the first period, Forel Davies of USC (13-1) scored a hat-trick and finished the game with a game-high six goals. The 49ers had no answer for USC’s offense as eight different Women of Troy players scored. Goalie Kristin Stragier of LBSU made nine saves in a losing cause.
On the other side of the ball, LBSU had plenty of trouble with USC’s pressing defense the entire game. USC goalie Tumua Anae denied LBSU with a game-high 12 saves.
Krizia Cerda put LBSU on the board with a goal in the closing minutes of the first half as the 49ers took a 10-1 deficit into intermission.
In the third period, USC outscored LBSU, 7-0, with five different Trojans scoring. LBSU showed some offensive life in the fourth with junior Lauren Sieprath scoring twice.
Sieprath led the ‘Niners with her two goals. Senior Branwyn Lee scored the last goal of the game in the final minute of play. The Beach outscored USC, 3-1, in the fourth period after the damage had already been done.
“We didn’t do the simple things today,” Arroyo said. “We need to take care of the basics before moving forward. That’s what we’re going to be learning on before Saturday.”
The team not showing up was hardly an excuse for Arroyo.
“We didn’t play our game,” Arroyo said. “And not just because ‘SC is ‘SC.”
The Beach begins Big West Conference play on Saturday at noon when it visits No. 10 Cal State Northridge, a team currently riding an eight-game winning streak.
The ‘Niners will have to regroup quickly afterward as they host the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal, a team on a four-match winning streak, on Sunday at noon at the 49er Campus Pool.