ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The South Carolina State Bulldogs handed the Furman men's tennis team a 6-1 loss Saturday afternoon at the Hardeep Judge Tennis Center.

Furman drops to 5-9 on the season while South Carolina State improves to 6-3 overall.

The Bulldogs captured the doubles point following wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Mikalai Bankou and Novak Novakovic topped Cole Burnam and Connor Laymon at the top spot, 6-4, while the No. 3 contest saw Iliyas Maratuly and Ivan Pauliuchenka defeat Theophile Joly and Matt Kandel, 6-2. In the No. 2 match, Nicolas Dispas and Nico Snyder won their team best ninth contest of the season with a 6-4 triumph over Aissa Benchakroun and Julius Augunas.

South Carolina State would clinch the victory after winning five of the six singles matches at No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 6.

Playing at No. 1, Bankou won in three sets over Joly, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8, and Novakovic earned a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Dispas at No. 2. In the No. 3 match, Benchakroun registered a 6-3, 0-6, 7-6(3) victory versus Walker Allen, while Augunas recorded a 6-2, 6-2 win over Laymon at No. 4. Maratuly defeated Burnam at the No. 6 position, 6-4, 6-3.

Snyder picked up the Paladins' singles point when he defeated Gabriel Johnson in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. The win was the freshman's second victory of the year.

Furman starts a four-match homestand next weekend, March 21-22, hosting Jacksonville State and UAB.