Wong Wins #1 Singles, but Portland State Defeats Bearcats, 6-1

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Joshua Wong (Sr., Hilo, HI/Hilo HS) of Willamette University won #1 singles over Antoine Bechmann of Portland State University, but the Vikings defeated the Bearcats in the team score, 6-1, on Sunday, Jan. 27 at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.

It was the third dual match of the season for the NCAA Division I Vikings, who improved to 1-2 on the season. Willamette, which competes in NCAA Division III, was playing its first match of the year.

The match was played using the NCAA Division I team scoring system (7 points), in which the team winning two or three doubles matches receives one point in the team score. Each singles match was worth one point.

Wong, who is ranked #6 in singles in the West Region of NCAA Division III, downed Bechmann, 6-4, 6-4. It was Wong's 35th career singles win in spring competition.

Portland State won the remaining five singles flights, but one match involved a tie-breaker and one match lasted three sets.

At #2 singles, Lukas Kortus of PSU outlasted Will Cooper (Jr., Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) of WU in the first set, 7-6, by winning a tie-breaker, 6-3. Kortus took the second set, 6-3.

PSU's Zach Lubek prevailed at #5 singles, as he downed Jack Schreiber (So., Solana Beach, CA/The Grauer School), 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

The match began with action in doubles. Alex Marx and Brent Wheeler of Portland State won #2 doubles over Cooper and Mathew Dees (Fr., Henderson, NV/Coronado HS) of Willamette, 8-2. PSU also triumphed at #3 doubles when Bechmann and Lubek downed Devin Abney (So., Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest HS/Univ. of Redlands) and Schreiber, 8-3.

Connor Gilmore and Abhinav Mishra of PSU were leading at #1 doubles against Wong and Sam Wexman (Fr., Tiburon, CA/Gamiscal HS), 7-3, but the match was not completed once the Vikings clinched the doubles point with wins in the bottom two flights.

The Bearcats will play an exhibition match against the University of Oregon Club team on Sunday, Feb. 3 in Eugene, Ore. Match time is scheduled for 9 a.m. (PST).