LONG BEACH -- Trailing 3-2 early, second-seed and seventh-ranked Pepperdine used a four-goal run to end the first half and 17 saves from goalie John Claude Marco to lift them to a 10-8 win over fourth-seed and 14th-ranked UC Irvine in the third place game of the 2018 Golden Coast Conference Men's Water Polo Championships Sunday morning.

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Marco added a pair of steals as the Waves (16-11) allowed just five goals the final 21 minutes. Balazs Kosa led the Waves with four goals. UC Irvine (9-17), who cut the lead to one twice in the fourth quarter was led by Jason Evezard's four goals.

Jared Gornay gave UC Irvine a 3-2 lead with 5:43 to play in the second quarter.

From there, the Waves would take control of the game with four straight goals to close out the half for a 6-3 lead. Four different players scored for the Waves in the run.

Down 8-4, UC Irvine wouldn't go away as they managed a three-goal run of their own to cut the lead to 8-7 thanks to Evezard's goal with 6:41 to play. The Waves answered on a goal from Michael Dakis just over a minute later for a 9-7 lead. 

The Anteaters had one more push as Evezard scored again to make it 9-8 with 2:31 to play. However, the Waves answered again, this time by Kosa for the final margin.