GREENWOOD – The No. 4-ranked Lander men's tennis team returned to its winning ways on Saturday, defeating No. 10-ranked North Georgia 5-2 at the Joe Cabri Tennis Center, giving the Bearcats their third win over a top-15 opponent this season. 

Lander (12-3, 4-1 PBC) clinched the victory with a Tommaso Rossin win at No. 6 as the Bearcats closed the day with three consecutive singles wins. The Bearcats took the doubles point as Ozan Cildir and Omar El-Moslemany picked up a 6-0 win at the No. 2 spot before Axel Cronje and Adam Elliget clinched the point with a 6-4 victory at No. 1. 

Cronje gave Lander a 2-0 lead, picking up a 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 3, but North Georgia (13-3, 3-1 PBC) answered with a pair of singles victories to knot the score. 

Tied 2-2, the Bearcats took over. Thomas De Negri put Lander back on top at the No. 5 spot, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win. Needing to win one of the final two points of the day, Rossin delivered at No. 6, rallying from a defeat in set one to nab a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 match-clinching win. Eirik Groner finished the day with Lander's third consecutive point, notching a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory on court two. 

The Bearcats will play their second match of the weekend on Sunday when they host Young Harris at 1:00 p.m.