SAN DIEGO – PLNU's top doubles team of Diego Tavera and Gregory DeAndrade had a 5-3 lead on court one doubles before dropping the next five games and the match to Bryan Cox and Rodrigo Schaefer.

That loss put the NAIA No. 6-ranked Sea Lions in the hole going into singles play against visiting Westmont but both players would redeem themselves by pulling out three-setters to give Point Loma Nazarene a hard-fought and emotional 5-4 conference win Saturday.

The win ups the Green and Gold's record to 12-7 overall, 7-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Eighth-ranked Westmont fell to 8-8, 4-6 GSAC.

The Sea Lions took just one of the doubles points, on court two where KC Ensley and Angel Tavera beat Tim Goranson and John Bertram 8-5. Tyler Bowman and Michael Zablan lost 8-6 on three to Joshua Barnard and Lukas Zielen.

Point Loma needed four points to earn the team win heading into singles. Zablan quickly defeated Zielen on five 6-1, 6-1 and Chad Rubin beat Barnard on six 6-3, 6-1. Ensley would lose 6-1, 6-1 to Schaefer on three, however, with Bowman falling to Goranson 6-2, 6-3 on two.

Westmont was just a point away...

DeAndrade and Diego Tavera were each pushed to three sets by Cox and Bertram respectively. Both matches were hard fought and tempers flared on both courts.

DeAndrade eventually won 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to even up the match. All eyes went to court five where Diego Tavera and Bertram went down to the wire, including a 5-5 score late in the set,  before Tavera prevailed 7-6, 1-6, 7-5.

The Sea Lions travel to Vanguard on Tuesday for a 4:00 pm match and will then host the Lions on Wednesday.

#6 Point Loma Nazarene 5, #8 Westmont 4
04/14/12 at San Diego, CA (PLNU Tennis Courts)

Singles competition

1. DE ANDRADE, Gregory (PLNU) def. COX, Bryan (WC) 6-2, 5-7, 6-1

2. GORANSON, Tim (WC) def. BOWMAN, Tyler (PLNU) 6-2, 6-3

3. SCHAEFER, Rodrigo (WC) def. ENSLEY, KC (PLNU) 6-1, 6-1

4. ZABLAN, Michael (PLNU) def. ZIELEN, Lukas (WC) 6-1, 6-1

5. TAVERA, Diego (PLNU) def. BERTRAM, John (WC) 7-6, 1-6, 7-5

6. RUBIN, Chad (PLNU) def. BARNARD, Joshua (WC) 6-3, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. COX, Bryan/SCHAEFER, Rodrigo (WC) def. DE ANDRADE, Gregory/TAVERA, Diego (PLNU) 8-5

2. ENSLEY, KC/TAVERA, Angel (PLNU) def. GORANSON, Tim/BERTRAM, John (WC) 8-5

3. BARNARD, Joshua/ZIELEN, Lukas (WC) def. BOWMAN, Tyler/ZABLAN, Michael (PLNU) 8-6

Match Notes

Westmont 8-8, 4-6 GSAC; National ranking #8

Point Loma Nazarene 12-7, 7-4 GSAC; National ranking #6

Doubles (2,3,1), Singles (3,4,2,6,1,5)