ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb men's tennis team closed out the regular season with its third straight win, a 4-3 victory over Big South Conference opponent UNC Asheville in the Battle of the Bulldogs.

"It was great to win the match after being behind at the end of doubles play," said head coach Mike Griffith. "This year we've had so many matches where we have been in control but haven't held on, so it's nice to have a good winning streak."

Continued Griffith: "Our motto after playing Kennesaw State was 'one more match.' That is what we have, at least one more chance to play. We are playing great tennis and are excited for the conference tournament. Although we'll be playing a team who previously beat us, the guys are looking forward to the challenge and will be ready."

UNC Asheville (7-10, 2-4 BSC) won the first doubles match, 6-0, at No.3 before Maximilian Scholl and Millen Hurrion defeated the nation's 38^th-ranked doubles team of Henry Patten and Olly Cull, 6-1.

Scholl and Hurrion's victory in the No. 1 position tied the doubles matches at one per team, but UNCA's Edward Colclough and Oli Nolan defeated Breno Plentz and Michael Perry, 6-4, at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point.

Trailing 1-0 after doubles play, Gardner-Webb won four of the six singles matches, earning its second victory of conference play and ninth of the season.

Stefano Puga started singles play for the Runnin' Bulldogs (9-14, 2-5 BSC) with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the No. 5 position, tying the contest.

Scholl was narrowly defeated by Patton, who is ranked No. 76 among singles players. Scholl fell in the No. 1 position in two sets, 6-3, 6-4.

Although the Bulldogs of UNCA took a brief lead, Breno Plentz tied the match with a two-set win in the No. 6 flight.

UNC Asheville pulled ahead, 3-2, with a victory at No.4, but two straight Gardner-Webb wins allowed the Runnin' Bulldogs to leave Asheville, North Carolina with a victory.

Paul Hogan won his match at No. 3 in three sets, battling back after dropping the opening set, 7-6 (12-10). Hogan was victorious in the final two sets, 6-4 and 6-3 respectively.

Following Hogan's triumph, Hurrion clinched the match for Gardner-Webb with a three-set win in the No. 2 position. After winning the first set, Hurrion fell in set two, but his 6-3 win in the third set lifted the Runnin' Bulldogs to victory.

Gardner-Webb will now take more than a week off before the conference tournament begins. The tournament is scheduled for April 16-18 from the Rock Hill Tennis Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina.