April 5, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - For the third game in a row, the No. 19 Arizona State water polo team faced a tough nationally ranked foe and were saddled with its third loss in a row as No. 9 San Jose State handed the hosts a 12-5 defeat in the second day of the Desert Challenge. Katie Davis (Jr., Riverside, Calif.) scored three times and Tessa Wyborny (Fr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) added a pair in the loss that dropped the Sun Devils to 17-12 on the year.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Deanna Lowry scored at 4:29. With a little over a minute remaining in the opening period, Adriane Mota (Fr., Long Beach, Calif.) fired a shot on goal that hit the upper right corner of the post and falling into Davis' hands were she shot and scored to tie the game at one.
In the second, the Spartans opened up the game with three goals in a row by Beth Harberts to stake SJSU to a 4-1 lead before Mota and Davis responded. This time, Mota stole the ball and sent a pass down pool to Davis. The Spartan goalie came out to attempt a steal and, with three seconds left on the clock, Davis shot into the empty net to cut the lead to 4-2.
The third period saw SJSU score 40 seconds in before Davis scored again, this time with help from a Daya Mau (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) pass over the defense. Up 5-3, the Spartans answered again, to go up by three, before Wyborny scored her first on a man up play. It was downhill from there, though, as the Spartans would score two more times in the third for a commanding 8-4 lead. In the fourth, Wyborny scored again to cut the lead to 8-5, but SJSU scored four unanswered goals after that to take the game, 12-5.
In the first game of the day, No. 7 Loyola Marymount controlled the tempo and scored an 11-2 victory over No. 12 Michigan. Katie Hicks and Neisha Hoagland each scored twice for the Lions of LMU to keep their team undefeated in the Desert Challenge at 2-0 while UM slips to 0-1 after its first of three contests in Tempe.
The Sun Devils return to the pool Saturday at 5 p.m. to face No. 12 Michigan.