SAINT LEO, Fla. -- Barry University's No. 1-ranked men's tennis team dropped its first Sunshine State Conference match of the season Saturday, losing to No. 4 Saint Leo in a marathon thriller, 5-4.

The Buccaneers won two of the three doubles matches, but couldn't seal the deal in singles, which included two three-set matches to decide the outcome.

It was an unprecedented loss for the Bucs, who needed one point to put it away after securing the first two singles match points. 
 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Saint Leo 5, Barry 4
Records: Barry (12-2, 4-1 SSC), Saint Leo (12-0, 2-0 SSC)
 

DOUBLES:

• Carlos Gomez and Vivien Versier gave Barry a 1-0 lead when they beat Bruno Babic and Francisco Aparicio, 8-6, at No. 3 doubles.
• The Bucs extended their lead to 2-0 when Pierre Montrieul and Blake Bayldon beat Jaime Bueno Willem van den Akker, 8-5, at the No. 2 pairs posiition.
• Saint Leo struck back at No. 1 doubles when 21st-ranked Thomas Grinberg and Vincent Suillerot took down 48th-ranked Fernando Tous and Filip Zupancic, 8-4.

SINGLES:

• Versier had his way with 74th-ranked Bruno Babic, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 4 singles. That put the Buccaneers ahead, 3-1.
• Gomez, who owns the No. 6 national singles ranking, made it 4-1 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Suillerot, the 20th-ranked player in the country, at the No. 2 position.
• But the Buccaneers dropped the next four matches, including two at the Nos. 6 and 3 positions, respectively, that required a third set.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Versier has won eight straight singles matches.
• Gomez has won four straight singles matches.
• Gomez and Versier have run off six straight doubles matches.
• It was the first time all season the Bucs got ahead 4-1 and lost the match.
• Barry fell to 5-2 against nationally-ranked opponents.

ON THE HORIZON:

The Bucs will play at Eckerd 10 a.m. Sunday.

BOX SCORE