UCLA Wins NCAA Water Polo Title 11-10 Over USC

STANFORD, Calif. -- Frederico Jucá Carsalade scored with one second left on the clock to give UCLA an 11-10 victory over top-seeded Southern California in the NCAA men's water polo championship on Sunday at the Avery Aquatic Center.

The second-seeded Bruins, who entered with a 27-2 record, rallied from a three-goal deficit in the second half to claim their 14th national title and fifth back-to-back championship sweep. USC, with a 23-4 mark, fell short in its bid for an 11th title, all earned since 1998 in the sport's tournament history dating to 1969.

UCLA jumped to a 3-1 lead after the first quarter behind two goals from Chase Dodd. The Trojans responded with a four-goal run capped by two scores from Jack Vort in the final 4:41 of the half, taking a 6-4 advantage into halftime. Stefan Branovic contributed two goals for USC in the opening frame.

In the third quarter, USC extended its lead to 8-7 with goals from Vort and Efe Naipoglu. Jucá Carsalade answered for UCLA with 31 seconds remaining, keeping the Bruins within one entering the fourth.

The final period unfolded in dramatic fashion. Eli Liechty tied the score at 8-8 for UCLA on a 6-on-5 opportunity. Mihailo Vukazic quickly...