The momentum from the Trojans’ 30-goal performance at the Triton Invitational disappeared when No. 2 USC men’s water polo took on top-10 competition — still, the victories continued.

USC (6-0) defeated No. 7 Long Beach State University (6-1) 17-11 on the road Friday before returning to Uytengsu Aquatics Center for their home opener on Sunday, winning 17-14 over No. 10 Pepperdine University (4-4).

The Trojans also faced Golden West College in an exhibition Sunday afternoon, but that result did not count toward their official record.

After averaging nearly 27 goals across four victories at the Triton Invitational, USC was held to just 17 goals in both matchups. However, the Trojans’ ability to create efficient attempts against Long Beach State and generate additional possessions against Pepperdine allowed them to begin the season 6-0 for the third consecutive year.

USC offense adapts against top-10 opponents

USC’s offensive performance looked considerably different in its two ranked victories.

When facing Long Beach State, the Trojans attempted only four more shots than the Beach but made up the difference with shot accuracy. USC scored on 17 of its 31 attempts for a .548 shooting percentage, while Long Beach State converted 11 of 27 shots for a .407 rate.

Seven Trojans scored in the win, but the majority of the action came from sophomores 2-meter Strahinja Krstic and driver Efe Naipoglu. The pair combined for 11 goals and converted 11 of their 14 total attempts.

Pepperdine, on the other hand, challenged USC’s accuracy, holding USC to 17 goals on 42 shots — a .405 shooting percentage. The Waves were more efficient at .438, converting 14 of 32 attempts, but the Trojans’ 10-shot advantage provided enough additional opportunities to pull out a win.

USC also displayed impressive scoring depth against the Waves. Ten Trojans found the net, led by three goals apiece from Krstic and senior driver Robert López Duart. Naipoglu, sophomore driver Apostolos Georgaras and freshman driver Ante Jerkovic each added two goals.

Krstic emerges as USC’s leading scorer

Krstic and López Duart entered Friday leading the team in scoring with 15 and 14 goals, respectively, after four matches at the Triton Invitational.

Krstic separated himself from the three-time All-American with six goals against Long Beach State, matching his career high set against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps the previous weekend. 

The sophomore’s season total is up to 24 goals through six games, and he has scored at least three goals in five of the Trojans’ six contests, averaging four per game. After finishing his freshman season with 49 goals, Krstic is nearly halfway to that mark just two weekends in.

While López Duart did not match Krstic’s nine-goal stretch, his consistency remained key in USC’s offense. He scored twice against the Beach and three times against the Waves, bringing his season total to 19 goals and extending his multi-goal streak to six games.

Naipoglu was also impactful after a quieter scoring performance at the Triton Invitational, recording a career-high five goals, four assists and three steals against Long Beach State.

The sophomore followed that performance with two goals and three assists against Pepperdine. His combined seven goals and seven assists gave him 14 points over the two games, providing the Trojans with another scoring and facilitating option behind Krstic and López Duart.

Georgaras has similarly contributed to the Trojans’ offense in his first season at USC. After totaling nine goals and 12 assists during the opening weekend, the University of the Pacific transfer added three goals and as many assists across the two victories. He now has 27 points across his first six appearances as a Trojan.

Defense withstands increased pressure

USC’s defensive numbers declined against its stronger competition, although the unit created turnovers and prevented either opponent from taking the lead. 

The Trojans conceded 33 total goals during the four games at the Triton Invitational, averaging 8.25 per match, while Long Beach State and Pepperdine combined for 25 goals, an average of 12.5.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Charles Mills totaled nine saves in each victory, matching his career high with four steals and contributing one-third of USC’s total on Sunday.

The Trojans and the Beach each recorded eight steals Friday, but USC created a much larger defensive advantage against Pepperdine: The Trojans finished with 12 steals compared to the Waves’ six, helping USC generate the additional possessions it needed on a less efficient shooting game.

The Trojans have not trailed in five consecutive matches. After maintaining control against two top-10 opponents, USC has demonstrated that it can withstand more pressure than it faced during its four dominant wins in La Jolla.

Trojans prepare for another ranked matchup

USC has already collected four ranked victories, scoring 141 goals through six official matchups while allowing just 58.

The Trojans will look to notch yet another ranked victory against No. 12 UC Irvine on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.