BOONE, N.C. – With the team score tied at 3-all and the match score knotted at 5-5 in the second set, sophomore Matt Browne won two-straight games to notch a 7-6, 7-5 victory over Oliver Casey at flight two to lead #75 Furman to a 4-3 win over Appalachian State Thursday at the Appalachian Tennis Courts in Boone, N.C.  With the win, the Paladins, who handed the Mountaineers their first SoCon loss of the season, remain unbeaten in league play and extend their winning streak to six matches. 

Zach Bost and Sebastien King defeated Browne and senior Joel Cook, 8-5, in the top doubles match-up to open play, before sophomore Ben Horst and senior Alex Christ evened the match with an 8-4 advantage over Steve Lake and Jack Maddocks in the number three contest.  In the decisive flight two match-up, Casey teamed with Daniel Hoang to claim the opening point for the Mountaineers after topping junior Jacob Behal and freshman Adam Steryous, 8-7(6).

In singles play, Steryous, ranked 94^th nationally, posted a quick 6-0, 6-2 win over King at number one to even the team score at 1-1, before Furman took a 2-1 lead after Horst recorded a 6-4, 6-2 victory versus Jan-Willem Kleynhans at flight six.  Maddocks tied the score at 2-apiece after defeating Behal, 6-2, 6-3, at flight five, then junior Luke Synn put the Paladins back on top, 3-2, after beating Hoang, 6-3, 6-4, in the flight three match-up.  Bost notched a 7-6, 6-1 win against Cook at flight four to tie the score at 3-apiece, setting up the decisive flight two contest. 

Furman (12-7, 6-0 SoCon) will face Elon Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville in the battle of the two remaining unbeaten SoCon teams.

#75 Furman 4, Appalachian State 3
Apr 03, 2014 at Boone, N.C. (Appalachian Tennis Courts)