MEDIA, Pa. / PRINCETON, N.J. – The Saint Joseph's men's tennis team played a pair of matches on Sunday, with the Hawks grabbing their first conference win of the season over Duquesne before falling to 20^th-ranked Princeton.
 
Saint Joseph's 6, Duquesne 1
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Hawks came out firing in their first match of the day, claiming the doubles point with a pair of wins.  Othman Bezzaz and Ernesto Ruy rolled in the first flight before Justus Agbo and Matthew Cizmarik locked up the point with a win in the third.
 
• SJU put the match away quickly in singles play.  Ruy cruised in the second flight before Matthew Dubas won in the fourth; Santiago Valle then clinched the match with a win in a lengthy second-set tiebreaker in the third flight.
 
• Bezzaz and Cizmarik finished off the match with pro-set wins in the fifth and sixth flight, respectively.
 
HAWK TALK
"I wanted the guys to make a statement this morning, and that's what they did," head coach Jeff Puhan said.  "Taking the doubles point set the tone, and credit to all the guys; they came out to play today.  It was nice getting that first conference win."
 
#20 Princeton 7, Saint Joseph's 0
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Tigers took the early lead through the doubles point.  Bezzaz and Ruy had their top-flight opponents on the ropes, up 4-2 and looking to add to the lead, when play was stopped.
 
• The hosts then finished off the match with wins in all six singles flights.
 
HAWK TALK
"It was a great day for our program, playing a top-20 team for the first time in school history," Puhan said.  "We fought.  Ernesto and Othman were about to go up 5-2 on a nationally-ranked team before the match was stopped.  We have already played three top-30 teams and four others who are ranked.  It showed when we took care of A-10 foe Duquesne.  We're looking forward now to our Spring Break training block."
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will head to Boca Raton, Florida, for Spring Break, before hosting Coppin State and Le Moyne on Saturday, March 15.
 
RESULTS
 
Saint Joseph's 6, Duquesne 1
 
Doubles
1. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU) def. Arnau Anton Garcia / Uvan Patel (DUQ), 6-2
2. Keita Duclos / Alfrendo Vogelaar (DUQ) def. Matthew Dubas / Santiago Valle (SJU), 7-5
3. Justus Agbo / Matthew Cizmarik (SJU) def. Enrique Lana / Aril Kayra Tuna (DUQ), 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
 
Singles
1. Vogelaar (DUQ) def. Agbo (SJU), 2-6, 6-4, 10-6 (STB)
2. Ruy (SJU) def. Duclos (DUQ), 6-4, 6-1
3. Valle (SJU) def. Tuna (DUQ), 6-0, 7-6 (11)
4. Dubas (SJU) def. Garcia (DUQ), 6-2, 6-3
5. Bezzaz (SJU) def. Lana (DUQ), 8-2
6. Cizmarik (SJU) def. Tancredi Alfano (DUQ), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6
 
#20 Princeton 7, Saint Joseph's 0
 
Doubles
1. Othman Bezzaz / Ernesto Ruy (SJU) led Paul Inchauspe / Ellis Short (PRIN), 4-2 (unfinished)
2. Filippos Astreinidis / Evan Wen (PRIN) def. Matthew Dubas / Santiago Valle (SJU), 6-2
3. Matthew Bosancic / Aidan Mahoney (PRIN) def. Justus Agbo / Matthew Cizmarik (SJU), 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2
 
Singles
1. #26 Inchauspe (PRIN) def. Agbo (SJU), 6-0, 6-1
2. Short (PRIN) def. Ruy (SJU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Aleksandar Mitric (PRIN) def. Valle (SJU), 6-1, 6-0
4. Milan Markovits (PRIN) def. Dubas (SJU), 6-2, 6-2
5. Bosancic (PRIN) def. Bezzaz (SJU), 6-3, 6-3
6. Astreinidis (PRIN) def. Cizmarik (SJU), 7-5, 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 4, 1, 2, 6, 5