TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - The No. 23-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's tennis team was not fooling around Thursday in scoring a 4-3 dual win over Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

The Bearcats moved to 11-2 overall and 6-0 in MIAA matches. The Savage Storm fell to 6-7 overall and 1-2 in league matches. Northwest has won five consecutive dual matches.

The Savage Storm gained the upper-hand early with doubles victories at No. 1 and No. 3. Northwest managed a victory at No. 2 singles from Andrea Zamurri and Franco Oliva as the Bearcat duo improved to 8-3 this spring. However, the Savage Storm had a 1-0 lead after doubles play.

Zamurri took his season mark to 13-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 dispatching of Juan Scoppetta at No. 1 singles.

Again the Savage Storm seemed to take control of the match by scoring wins at No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Fabian Calloud dropped only his third match of the season at No. 2 singles to Guilherme Dos Santos, 7-5, 6-1. Oliva fell to 9-4 at No. 3 singles when Manuel Pilotto pocketed a 7-5, 6-1 victory.

But the Bearcats dug deep and relied on the bottom half of the lineup to come through. 

Martin Sanchez took care of business at No. 5 singles with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Marcus Del Rosario. Sanchez is 11-2 at No. 5 singles this spring.

Agustin Velasco improved his spring mark to 8-1 at No. 6 singles with a 6-3, 6-2 vanquishing of Thabo Ncube. Velasco's victory left the dual tied at 3-3 with the No. 5 singles match in the balance.

Northwest's Fillippo Piranomonte took the first set from George Botha, 6-4. But Botha evened the match with a 6-3 triumph in the second - forcing a third and deciding set for not only the two of them, but the dual. Piranomonte wasted no time and secured a 6-1 win in the third to clinch the Bearcat dual victory.

The Bearcats will be off until Sunday, April 11, when they meet up with Southern Arkansas University in Topeka, Kansas.