PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team dropped a pair of matches on Friday, falling to Howard at home before succumbing to Penn at the Hecht Indoor Tennis Center.
 
MATCH 1: Howard 4, Saint Joseph's 2
 
• Howard took the early lead, claiming two doubles flights to win the first point of the day.  John Butler and Eli Gan-Dy took a 6-4 win in the third flight, but the Bison won a tiebreaker in the first to clinch the point.
 
• The Hawks rebounded to take the lead early in singles play.  Justus Agbo was a 6-3, 7-5 winner in the top flight, while Othman Bezzaz went on to a 6-3, 6-4 win in the third.
 
• Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, the visitors would grab the next three wins to claim the overall match.
 
MATCH 2: Penn 4, Saint Joseph's 0
 
• Penn earned the doubles point to start off the match, taking wins in the second and third flights.
 
• In singles play, the Quakers snagged three wins to clinch the victory.  Ernesto Ruy won the first set of his second-flight match, but fell in the second before play was halted.
 
HAWK TALK
 
"We had our chances to win the match against Howard," head coach Jeff Puhan said.  "We need to keep getting better mentally.  Against Penn we had a better showing than our previous match; Ernesto won a set and Justus had his chances in his match.  We are getting better by the day; our mental toughness and grit has to keep improving.  We'll get back to work on Monday."
 
UP NEXT
 
The Hawks will host Bucknell on March 24.
 
RESULTS
 
Howard 4, Saint Joseph's 2
 
Doubles
1. Justin Cadeau / Michael Major (HU) def. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU), 7-6 (5)
2. Marcel Dawson / Kendrick Lash (HU) def. Justus Agbo / Stergios Achilleas Papadopoulos (SJU), 6-3
3. John Butler / Eli Gan-Dy (SJU) def. Hassimiyou Dieng / Gabe Knowles (HU), 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
 
Singles
1. Agbo (SJU) def. Dawson (HU), 6-3, 7-5
2. Major (HU) def. Ruy (SJU), 6-3, 6-3
3. Bezzaz (SJU) def. Cadeau (HU), 6-3, 6-4
4. Lash (HU) def. Papadopoulos (SJU), 7-5, 6-4
5. Dieng (HU) def. Jack Campbell (SJU), 6-3, 7-5
6. Daniel Dunac (HU) led Mark Rubin (SJU), 6-0, 5-4 (unfinished)
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
 
Penn 4, Saint Joseph's 0
 
Doubles
1. Matthew Rutter / Baylor Sai (PENN) led Bezzaz / Ruy (SJU), 5-2 (unfinished)
2. Parashar Bharadwaj / Manfredi Graziani (PENN) def. Agbo / Papadopoulos (SJU), 6-1
3. Tal Goodman / Aaron Sandler (PENN) def. Butler / Gan-Dy (SJU), 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Graziani (PENN) def. Agbo (SJU), 6-4, 6-2
2. Ruy (SJU) vs. Sandler (PENN), 6-3, 1-6 (unfinished)
3. Sai (PENN) led Bezzaz (SJU), 6-3, 4-1 (unfinished)
4. Rutter (PENN) def. Papadopoulos (SJU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Bharadwaj (PENN) def. Campbell (SJU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Goodman (PENN) led Rubin (SJU), 6-3, 5-2
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1