Box Score
FRESNO, Calif. — A furious finish clinched a third-place victory for Biola Women's Water Polo in its final match of the season on Sunday. The Eagles had a rematch with a McKendree team they beat 22-8 earlier this year with third place in the Western Water Polo Association on the line.

The Bearcats had a hot start to force the game to a 5-5 tied at the halftime break. The Eagles never led in the first half. All of that changed in the final 16 minutes when Biola outscored McKendree 9-2 to win the game running away at a final score of 14-7.

"We made sure we showed everyone we will be a first-ranked team next year," said Head Coach Sarah Orozco.

Biola made it to the WWPA semifinals, but was relegated a third-place finish at best following a tough loss to Salem on Saturday. The Eagles came into the day with confidence on high due to the outcome of the match with McKendree in the regular season.

The Bearcats, though, started to create some cause for concern with how they began this match. McKendree scored first just about a minute-and-a-half into the contest to take the first lead.

Rachel Spadt, Biola's Division I transfer, tied it up at one, but then McKendree's Division I transfer Jaleh Moaddeli put them back out on top 2-1. At the 4:41 mark in the first quarter, Hanna Jordan scored her first of four goals to tie the game.

The Bearcats then scored back-to-back goals to create what would be their largest lead of the game at 4-2. They'd maintain the advantage at 5-3 late in the second quarter, but Biola got goals from Maria Roldan Gonzalez and Jordan to tie the match at five at halftime.

At that point, the exclusions were beginning to pile up for McKendree and Biola could see an opportunity forming coming out of the half with so many Bearcats in "foul trouble".

Ultimately, two Bearcats' starters ended up being ejected following three exclusions and that was all Biola would need to begin running away with this one.

Biola scored first out of the half as Spadt found the back of the net. Veralie Naranjo's first goal of the game made it 7-6 Eagles with just under six minutes to play in the third.

It was at that point when Samantha Rainey made a true momentum-shifting save that changed the trajectory of the game. McKendree had a 2-on-0 breakaway that ultimately ended up with Rainey going 1-on-1 with a shooter well out in front of her cage.

She made a massive stop and then immediately swam the ball out under immense pressure to maintain Biola's 7-6 lead.

After that, Naranjo scored her second in a row to give Biola its first multi-goal lead of the contest.

McKendree tightened it back within one with a goal at the 3:32 mark of the third period. That would be the last goal of the game from the Bearcats, though, as Biola shut them out over the final 11-plus minutes of play.

Biola had a handful of highlight reel goals in this one, but the most memorable was one from Hanna Jordan as time expired in the third quarter. The All-WWPA first-team selection fired a lob shot from almost mid-pool cross-cage to make it 9-7 and set the crowd going crazy.

The Eagles got five goals in the final period to ice the game, while Rainey worked her way up to six total saves.

The victory secured a final record of 13-16 for Biola Women's Water Polo in its inaugural regular season.