For Immediate Release: April 26, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations (956) 381-2240

BRONCS DEFEAT LAMAR AT SLC TOURNAMENT

SAN ANTONIO, TX –It all came down to the number five singles match at the Southland Conference Men’s Tennis Tournament Friday. And the Broncs’ lone senior came through with flying colors, giving The University of Texas-Pan American its first win ever at the SLC Tournament.

Kareem Abdullah (Clarendon, TX/Clarendon HS/Seward County CC) defeated Naeem Kath, 6-7, 6-0, 7-5, to give Texas-Pan American a 4-3 victory against Lamar at the University of Texas-San Antonio Friday afternoon.

The Broncs began the match by winning the doubles point, taking two doubles matches. Junior Matt Gower (Somerset, England/ Kings of Wessex HS/St. Francis-PA) and Abdullah defeated Jakob Paulsen and Juan Pablo Alatorre at number two doubles, 8-5, and sophomore Tom Mangelschots (Limburg, Belgium/KA 2 HS) and junior Neil Barraclough (Coventry, England/Cardinal Newman HS/Seward County CC) defeated Christian Oliver and Kath at number three, 8-3. The number one doubles match was stopped after UTPA clinched the doubles point.

In the first four singles matches, Mangelschots defeated Alatorre, 6-3, 6-4 at number three. Salvo downed Nebojsa Murisic at number four, 6-4, 6-4. Paulsen defeated Koziell at number two, 6-4, 6-3. Guerrero downed Barraclough at number six, 6-4, 6-2. Then Gonzales defeated Gower at number one, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, setting up the decisive match at number five.

“After Matt lost in three sets, Kareem was serving in the third set at 4-5, 15-30, so we were two points from losing,” said UTPA Head Coach Todd Chapman. “He came back and won it. As close as it was, there’s no one other than Kareem I would have wanted to have on the court. All the pressure was on Kareem, and he was our hero. I’m proud of the way we played, and I’m proud of the way Kareem played. I knew it was going to be a tough match, and it could have gone either way, but, to me, this is what college tennis is about.”

With the victory, UTPA improved to 10-8, while Lamar fell to 7-14. The Broncs will play top-seeded Texas-Arlington Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the semi-finals.

UTPA 4, LAMAR 3

DOUBLES

1-Filip Koziell and Jeremy Salvo, UTPA, vs. John Guerrero and Edgar Gonzales, LU, not completed
2-Matt Gower and Kareem Abdullah, UTPA, defeated Jakob Paulsen and Juan Pablo Alatorre, 8-5
3-Tom Mangleschots and Neil Barraclough, UTPA, defeated Christian Oliver and Naeem Kath, 8-3

SINGLES

1-Gonzales, LU, defeated Gower, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
2-Paulsen, LU, defeated Koziell, 6-4, 6-3
3-Mangelschots, UTPA, defeated Alatorre, 6-3, 6-4
4-Salvo, UTPA, defeated Nebojsa Murisic, 6-4, 6-4
5-Abdullah, UTPA, defeated Kath, 6-7, 6-0, 7-5
6-Guerrero, LU, defeated Barraclough, 6-4, 6-2

MTLAMAR3042602