NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina Central came from behind to edge Norfolk State in a thrilling 4-3 win in the MEAC men's tennis opener at the NSU Tennis Complex on Saturday.

Trailing 3-2, the Eagles (4-4, 1-0 MEAC) needed two wins and got them from Antoni Pankowski and Naresh Bharathy. Pankowski tied the match with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in No. 5 singles and Bharathy clinched the comeback with a 6-4, 6-4 win in No. 4 singles. The team win was especially satisfying for Pankowski, who transferred from Norfolk State.

The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead after winning two out of three doubles matches. The tandem of Kareem Abdul Hakim and Oliver Saarinen captured No. 2 doubles 6-2 and the team of Hugo Hidalgo Vega and Rodrigo Alves won No. 1 doubles 6-4.

Norfolk State (4-5, 0-1 MEAC) tied the score in No. 2 singles but the Eagles reclaimed the lead 2-1 after Hidalgo Vega captured No. 1 singles 6-1, 6-1. The Spartans won No. 6 and No. 3 singles for a 3-2 lead before the Eagles rallied behind Pankowski and Bharathy.

The Eagles hit the courts again in Orlando, Fla., starting Monday, March 10. They will play five matches in four days starting with St. Thomas Aquinas on March 10 at 11:30 a.m.