BOX SCORE Flash Points:

• SFU Men's Tennis picked up a 4-3 win over Northern Kentucky on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
• The Red Flash dropped the doubles point, but won four singles matches.
• Luna, Foo-Kune, Miller, Garcia all earned singles wins.
• The Red Flash (2-8) returns to action on March 16 at St. John's and March 18 at St. Francis Brooklyn.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Saint Francis Men's Tennis team earned a 4-3 win over Northern Kentucky on Sunday at the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Center in Pittsburgh.  SFU dropped the doubles point, but picked up four wins in singles to improve to 2-8 overall.  NKU fell to 2-5 on the season.

"This was a good way to end things before our Spring Break," said Head Coach Rob Castille. "We have a couple weekends off now until we go to New York, so it's always nice to go into a break with a win."
 
At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Franz Luna (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Laurel Springs) and freshman Sebastian Pinos (Quito, Ecuador/Compuinformatica) took on the Norse's Anthony Bosch and Jorge Rodriguez.  The Red Flash duo won a tight set, 7-5, to move to 5-5 this Spring.
 
Senior Alec Dylan Foo-Kune (Phoenix, Mauritius/International Connections Academy (Md.)) and sophomore Eduardo Garcia (Toluca, Mexico/Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico) battled NKU's Blaine Carr and Andrew Niehaus at No. 1.  The SFU pair dropped a 6-3 decision that clinched the doubles point for NKU.
 
In the match at No. 3, junior Chad Allender (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) and sophomore Samuel Miller (Smithfield, R.I./Homeschool) fell 6-0 against Northern Kentucky's Nick Elleman and Felipe Hidalgo.

"I was not pleased with our doubles at all today," said Castille. "This probably was the worst we have played and that's disappointing because I felt like we were starting to play better. Credit to NKU who jumped all over us and made us pay for being lackluster and not hungry."
 
Luna met the Norse's Niehaus at the top singles spot.  The SFU sophomore claimed the opening set, 7-5.  He clinched a straight-set victory, and the match point, with a 6-3 win in set two.  Luna is now 6-4 this Spring.
 
Foo-Kune battled Northern Kentucky's Carr at No. 2 singles.  The SFU senior won the first set, 6-2.  He repeated that performance in the second set to earn the sweep.  Foo-Kune improved to 5-4 in dual matches.
 
At No. 4, Miller took on NKU's Chris Murray.  The Red Flash sophomore dropped the opening set, 6-3, but bounced back to win the next set, 6-4.  In the deciding set, Miller came out on top, 6-1, for his first win with the Red Flash.
 
Garcia competed at No. 5 against the Norse's Hidalgo.  The SFU sophomore took the first set, 6-1.  He earned a straight-set victory with a 6-4 win in the second set.  Garcia picked up his second win of the Spring.
 
In the match at No. 3, Pinos faced NKU's Rodriguez.  However, the SFU rookie fell 6-2, 6-4.  At No. 6, Miller matched up against the Norse's Bosch, but dropped a 6-4, 6-4 decision.

"We challenged the team to raise their level and intensity in singles and it was good to see several of the guys step up," said Castille. "We'll continue to focus on the things we need to improve upon and will be ready for our trip to New York."
 
The Red Flash returns to action on Friday, March 16 when it travels to St. John's.  Saint Francis will then play its NEC opener on Sunday, March 18 at St. Francis Brooklyn.
 
Doubles:
1. Carr/Niehaus(NKU) def. Foo-Kune/Garcia(SFU), 6-3.
2. Luna/Pinos(SFU) def. Bosch/Rodriguez(NKU), 7-5.
3. Elleman/Hidalgo(NKU) def. Allender/Miller(SFU), 6-0.
Order of Finish: 3,1,2
 
Singles:
1. Luna(SFU) def. Niehaus(NKU), 7-5, 6-3.
2. Foo-Kune(SFU) def. Carr(NKU), 6-2, 6-2.
3. Rodriguez(NKU) def. Pinos(SFU), 6-2, 6-4.
4. Miller(SFU) def. Murray(NKU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
5. Garcia(SFU) def. Hidalgo(NKU), 6-1, 6-4.
6. Bosch(NKU) def. Allender(SFU), 6-4, 6-4.
Order of Finish: 6,2,5,4,3,1