BERKELEY - An early morning start didn't deter fans from packing Spieker Aquatics Complex and the Cal men's water polo team didn't disappoint as late goals by Thomas Agramonte and Johnny Hooper made the difference and the No. 4-ranked Bears beat No. 3 USC 12-10 in a key Mountain Pacific Sports Federation showdown.

Hooper scored four goals to lead Cal (18-4, 4-1 MPSF), Odysseas Masmanidis added three and Farrel South scored two. Luca Cupido, Conor Neumann and Agramonte rounded out the scoring for the Bears. Lachlan Edwards led USC (17-4, 5-2) with four goals.

Tied at 10 with just under five minutes to play, Cal pulled in front courtesy of Agramonte. The senior from Half Moon Bay, Calif. found himself alone on an angle against goalkeeper McQuin Baron, fired high and slotted it directly between Baron's arms to put the Bears up 11-10 with 4:21 left.

Hooper added the insurance goal with a great individual effort, forcing a steal that led to a breakaway and a one-on-one chance with Baron. The freshman from Los Angeles stayed calm and converted, finding the net to push Cal's lead to 12-10 with 2:39 to play.

USC had a chance to get closer with a power play opportunity late in the game but a Trojan shot hit the crossbar with one minute to play. Chandler Jarrels brought an end to the proceedings with a field block with 27 seconds left and the clock ran out, much to the delight of a rowdy Cal crowd.

"That was the best, most exciting game I've played in in a really long time," Hooper said. "I'm so thankful for our fans that came out and made it an experience like that."

Tied at 7 heading to halftime, Cal made its mark on the defensive end of the pool to eventually gain the edge it needed. Jarrels had a tremendous second half in several different positions, making an impact for the Bears even after having not played in the first 16 minutes. South was also strong on the defensive end, and Andric finished with 13 saves as Cal's last line of defense.

"I thought they did a really nice job," Cal head coach Kirk Everist said of his team. "I thought we were really strong on the defensive end and made some adjustments on things that were causing us problems in the first half."

Cal jumps right back in the pool on Sunday at noon when San Jose State visits Spieker for more MPSF action. The Bears stay at home next weekend to host Pacific and Pepperdine before heading to Stanford to close out the regular season.