By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team was defeated by Emerson College, 6-0, on Tuesday afternoon.

The match was the lone one that will be played in the fall semester by the Bears.

Emerson owns a 4-1 record over BSU since 2010.

The Lions' first doubles team of junior Filippo Nocchi (Pontedera, Italy) and sophomore Connor Leung (Mercer Island, Wash.) won, 6-0, over sophomore Khiem Nguyen (Burlington, Vt.) and junior Anthony Lucas (Weymouth, Mass.).

At No. 2 doubles, Emerson freshman Tai Finestone (Los Angeles, Calif.) and sophomore Cameron McAllister (San Diego, Calif.) won over senior Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) and senior Tyler Barros (Somerset, Mass.), 6-2.

Emerson scored a 6-0 win at No. 3 doubles behind freshman Adam Alireza (Jaddah, Saudi Arabia) and junior Finn Leeves-Coben (Malibu, Calif.), who defeated freshman Jayton Woods (Kingston, Mass.) and freshman Daniel Parath (Millbury, Mass.).

Nocchi won No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-1, over freshman Will Horton (Lakeville, Mass.) while Leung gave Emerson a win at No. 2 singles over senior Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.), 6-1, 6-2.

Alireza was the winner at No. 3 singles over Nguyen, 6-3, 5-0, retired, while Finestone took No. 4 singles, 6-1, 6-4, over Lucas.

Freshman Santiago Yunes (Miami, Fla.) took No. 6  singles, 6-1, 6-2, over Woods while the No. 5 singles match between Hebert and McAllister was unfinished due to darkness. Hebert won the first set in a tie-breaker, 7-6 (11-9), while McAllister took the second set, 6-3.

BSU reached the championship round of the Little East Conference tournament last spring, losing to Rhode Island College, after making the NCAA tourney in 2024.

The Bears' next scheduled match is on March 25 when they will host Thomas College of Maine.