BOX SCORE

DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman Pablo Juez Torres won the final match of the day in straight sets to secure the team victory for host North Carolina Central University in a 4-3 showdown against visiting Morgan State University Thursday afternoon at the NCCU Tennis Courts.
 
The Eagles also got singles wins by sophomore Gabriel Cucalon and freshman Theofanis Kontopoulos.
 
NCCU improved to 4-11 overall, with three of its four wins being close 4-3 encounters.
 
A pair of wins in the top two doubles contests gave the maroon and gray the first team point.
 
Kontopoulos and sophomore Davide Callegari notched the first doubles win, 6-2, in the middle match. Kontopoulos and Callegari improved to 7-3 in their first year as partners.
 
Cucalon then teamed up with freshman Maksym Konovalov for a clutch 7-6 conquest in the top doubles draw. Cucalon and Konovalov secured the tiebreaker, 7-4, to end the critical match as MSU had won the bottom bout.
 
Cucalon (8-7) and Kontopoulos (8-6) extended the hosts lead to 3-nil with straight set triumphs in the first two singles positions in NCCU's lineup. Cucalon remained undefeated against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opposition at 4-0 with an easy 6-0, 6-1 victory over junior Arjun Ramakrishnan. Kontopoulos added an impressive 6-2, 6-0 conquest of First Team All-MEAC honoree junior Jeremy Field.
 
The Bears, who slipped to 2-11 on the season, rallied with the next three singles wins to tie the match before Juez Torres answered for the Eagles.
 
Juez Torres netted his clinching victory at the No. 6 position in the lineup. The 6-2, 6-3 triumph was his first collegiate singles win.
 
NCCU returns to MEAC Southern Division play with a battle at archrival North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro on Tuesday at 2 p.m.