WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. --  The top-seeded and third-ranked Barry Buccaneers captured their eighth consecutive and 20th overall Sunshine State Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Championship with a 4-1 victory over the third-seeded and 15th-ranked Florida Southern Moccasins at the Mitch Gornto Tennis Center at Palm Beach Atlantic's Rinker Athletic Campus on Sunday morning.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: No. 3 Barry 4, No. 15 Florida Southern 1
Records: Barry (18-3), FSC (17-8)
Series: Buccaneers lead the series 39-7

SUMMARY:

Doubles

1. #41 Mario Garoz / Chris Fok Kow (Florida Southern) def. #39 Leo Caill / Adam Lynch (Barry) — 6-2
2. #40 Gabriele Felline / Tim Riedel (Barry) def. Bosko Boskovic / George Russell (Florida Southern) — 6-4
3. Riccardo Trione / Yan Kodjoed (Barry) def. Sam Frizelle / Matthew Hewitt (Florida Southern) — 6-4

Singles

1. #37 Riccardo Trione (Barry) vs. #69 Sam Frizelle (Florida Southern) — 7-6, unfinished
2. #68 Gabriele Felline (Barry) vs. Chris Fok Kow (Florida Southern) — 6-3, 5-0, unfinished
3. #53 Mario Garoz (Florida Southern) def. #31 Yan Kodjoed (Barry) — 6-1, 6-4
4. Tim Riedel (Barry) def. Matthew Hewitt (Florida Southern) — 6-1, 6-2
5. Adam Lynch (Barry) def. George Russell (Florida Southern) — 6-4, 6-0
6. Ariel Meshulam (Barry) def. Bosko Boskovic (Florida Southern) — 6-2, 6-2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Moccasins opened strong, with 41st-ranked Mario Garoz and Chris Fok Kow knocking off 39th-ranked Leo Caill and Adam Lynch at the top doubles flight.
• But Barry secured the doubles point after wins on Courts #2 and #3. At Court #2, 40th-ranked Gabriele Felline and Tim Riedel claimed a 6-4 victory over Bosko Boskovic and George Russell, while Riccardo Trione and Yan Kodjoed sealed the point with a 6-4 win on Court #3 over Sam Frizelle and Matthew Hewitt.
• Florida Southern earned the first singles point on Court #3, where #53 Mario Garoz defeated #31 Kodjoed in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4 to even the match at 1-1.
• But the Bucs lineup depth proved too much. Ariel Meshulam quickly answered for Barry, powering past Boskovic 6-2, 6-2 on Court #6.
• Riedel added another point for the Bucs, dominating Hewitt 6-1, 6-2 on Court #4.
• Lynch clinched the match for Barry at Court #5, closing out Russell 6-4, 6-0 to seal the victory.
• The Bucs won the first sets at the top two flights, but both matches went unfinished.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Barry's 20 tournament championships are the most in conference history, while their eight straight is second to Rollins, which won every title from 1980-1994 (15 straight).
• For associate head coach Fred Bonal, it was the second straight year he led the men to the title.
• Despite missing the first month of the season, Lynch improved his record to 9-0 in singles, the best percentage and second-most wins on the team.
• Reidel tied Felline with his 10th win of the season.
• The win grants the Buccaneers the automatic bid from the conference to the NCAA Regional May 9-10. It is the 29th NCAA bid for the men, tied for third in NCAA Division II history.

ON THE HORIZON

Official bids to the championship are announced on Monday, May 5. The finals will be held at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida, with the men's tournament running May 20-24. Rollins College and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission will serve as hosts.