CLAREMONT, Calif. — Cal Lutheran men's water polo (7-7, 0-2 SCIAC) came up just short on the road Wednesday night, falling 16-13 to Pomona-Pitzer in a high-scoring conference matchup.

The Kingsmen traded goals early in a fast-paced opening quarter. Paul Patterson opened the scoring, and after two quick goals from the Sagehens, Luke Chang converted on an exclusion to even the score. Ethan Guereca later found the back of the net, but Pomona-Pitzer (9-9, 4-0 SCIAC) closed the frame with a penalty goal to lead 4-3 after the first quarter.

The Sagehens extended their advantage in the second quarter, stringing together three unanswered goals before Jack Bradbury ended the run midway through the period. Tre Eade added another for the Kingsmen, but Pomona-Pitzer carried a 10-5 lead into halftime.

Cal Lutheran came alive in the third. Patterson, Ceasar Nava, and Alan Castillo each struck, with Castillo scoring back-to-back goals to trim the deficit to 12-9 entering the final quarter.

The Kingsmen continued to battle late as Patterson tallied his third goal of the night, and Merrick Giles powered in a trio of goals in the closing minutes to complete his hat trick. Despite the late surge, Pomona-Pitzer held on to secure the 16-13 win.

Patterson and Giles led Cal Lutheran with three goals, while Castillo contributed two. Chang, Guereca, Nava, Bradbury, and Eade each scored once to round out the offense.

The Kingsmen outshot the Sagehens 36-28 and recorded nine assists on 13 goals, showing strong ball movement throughout the match. Pomona-Pitzer held a slight edge in efficiency, converting 16 of its 28 shots while also forcing eight steals to Cal Lutheran's three.

Cal Lutheran will look to bounce back on Saturday as the Kingsmen head to Pasadena for a conference matchup against Caltech.