CLAREMONT, Calif. – No. 3 Cal Lutheran women's water polo saw its unbeaten SCIAC run come to an end on Wednesday afternoon, falling 10-5 to the No. 1 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens at Haldeman Pool.

Facing the reigning national champions on the road, the Regals (9-10, 5-1 SCIAC) delivered a competitive, hard-fought performance despite the final scoreline, battling throughout against a Sagehen defense that stayed locked in all game long.

Pomona struck first just over a minute into the contest, but Cal Lu answered as Olivia Hurley found the back of the cage. The Sagehens added two more late goals to take a 3-1 lead after the opening quarter.

Lauren Lohmeier opened the second-quarter scoring to pull the Regals within one, but Pomona continued to apply pressure on both ends, stretching its lead with two more goals to carry a 5-2 advantage into halftime.

Both teams traded momentum in the third, with Lohmeier tallying her second goal of the day to keep Cal Lutheran within reach. Still, the Sagehens capitalized on key opportunities and extended their lead to 7-3 heading into the final frame.

CLU showed its resilience in the fourth, as Jacqueline Brandon and Gabby Gillott each scored to trim the margin, but Pomona's defense held firm down the stretch to secure the 10-5 decision.

Lohmeier led the Regals with two goals, while Brandon, Hurley, and Gillott each added one. Kelsee Espitia and Aleaha Gonzalez contributed assists as part of the offensive effort.

Defensively, Izzy de Souza kept Cal Lutheran in the contest with 12 saves in goal, while the Regals totaled seven steals as a team.

Despite the result, Cal Lutheran proved it can compete with the nation's best, going toe-to-toe with the top-ranked Sagehens for much of the contest.

The Regals return home on Saturday, March 21 at 11 a.m. for another major conference showdown against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the national runner-up.