BCU takes two from North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T State

FLORENCE, S.C. – Bethune-Cookman improved its winning streak to seven matches Sunday by opening Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play with a 5-2 victory over North Carolina Central and a 7-0 decision over North Carolina A&T.

Gaby Chinchilla picked up her 10th singles wins of the year, Maria Garoz-Mareno won her eighth consecutive singles match, and the duo combined to win their seventh straight doubles match as the defending regular season champion Lady Wildcats improved to 10-5 on the season and 2-0 in league play.

Mina Matsuba and Alejandra Vidal also won both their singles matches on Sunday.

In men’s action, Bethune-Cookman swept North Carolina Central 4-3 and North Carolina A&T 7-0 to begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play Sunday.

The Wildcats (9-8 overall, 2-0 MEAC) have now three straight and five of their last six with Sunday’s two victories giving them two conference victories in league play since the conference went to divisional play.

Alvarro Barrera won both his singles matches, and the Wildcats picked up a huge doubles point in the North Carolina Central match that gave them the early advantage.

For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.ncataggies.com

 

 

NCCU’s Kilumets, Gerasimov and East win twice in pair of 4-3 losses

FLORENCE, S.C. – The top three singles players for North Carolina Central University went undefeated on Sunday during the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division Round-Up at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center but the Eagles were winless in the bottom half of their singles lineup and in doubles action resulting in a pair of narrow 4-3 losses to Bethune-Cookman University and South Carolina State University.

Freshman Kert Kilumets, senior Daniil Gerasimov and sophomore William East claimed NCCU’s three points in each match play at No. 1-3, respectively.

Gerasimov (7-1) continued a stellar final season with conquests over a pair of 2014 All-MEAC performers in Walid Gtari (B-CU) and Martin Figura (SCSU).  The Belgorod, Russia, product has won seven straight matches.

Kilumets (5-3) and East (5-4) extended their win streaks to four apiece.

NCCU now knows it can play amongst the league’s best teams taking the two favorites to win the MEAC Southern Division to the brink. The Bulldogs from South Carolina State won the 2014 MEAC Men’s Tennis Tournament and were picked to win the Southern Division in the coaches’ preseason poll. The Wildcats from Bethune Cookman were the only other team in the Southern Division that received first place votes in the preseason poll are were predicted as the division’s runner-up.

Gerasimov was involved in a pair of close doubles tilts with senior partner Fabrice George leading 7-4 against Bethune-Cookman and deadlocked 7-7 against S.C. State when they were both stopped unfinished after the Bulldogs and Wildcats secured the team point by both winning at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. 

The Eagles fourth, fifth and sixth singles players were swept in straight sets both times. 

NCCU next travels to Baltimore, Md., for a pair of duels against MEAC North Division squads on Friday in Coppin State University (2:30 PM) and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (5:00 PM).

In women’s action, Senior Rebecca Wood only lost four total games in a pair of singles wins for the North Carolina Central University women’s tennis team but the Lady Eagles fell to a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferene Southern Division rivals in Bethune-Cookman University and South Carolina State University on Sunday at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center.

The Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman won the first match of the day, 5-2, before the defending MEAC Tournament champion Bulldogs of S.C. State held on for a 4-3 win in the second duel.

NCCU slipped to 3-9 overall a 1-3 in the MEAC.

The two points for the Lady Eagles against Bethune-Cookman were impressive ones as Wood and sophomore Lynsey Cover both defeated a pair of all-conference honorees from a year ago. Wood knocked off first team All-MEAC performer Chinatsu Kajiwara while Cover disposed of second team honoree Gaby Chinchilla.

NCCU won doubles against S.C. State and got singles wins from Wood and senior Ekaterina Nekrasova.

NCCU heads to the coast next visiting UNC Wilmington on Friday (Mar. 20) at 2 p.m.

For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.scsuathletics.com