DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men’s tennis team fell to Buffalo, 5-2, on Saturday afternoon at the West Tennis Courts. The Huskies dropped the doubles points and fell just short of pulling off a comeback in the singles as they fall to 15-8 overall, 3-3 in Mid-American Conference play.

“Since the Western Michigan match we have struggled to find a rhythm in doubles and that has hurt us,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. “It is unfortunate, we were able to get back in the match but we were always fighting uphill. It’s a game of momentum swings and Buffalo had another run in them.

“Carlos (Manzanas) had a nice win, he has struggled so it was nice for him to come through and get us on the board, that gave us some momentum and belief, but it wasn’t enough.”

Victories at number one and three gave Buffalo the doubles point. The Bulls then took at 2-0 lead as Akhil Mehta downed sophomore Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium), 6-4, 6-4, at number four in the first singles match to finish.

Junior Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe) gave the Huskies their first point of the day with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Pablo Alvarez at number one.

Buffalo pulled within a point of the victory when Ethan Nittolo finished a 6-3, 7-6 victory at number five over sophomore Kevin Daun (Vasteras, Sweden/Widenska Gymnasiet Idrottscollege).

Sophomore Austin Russell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) brought the Huskies back within a point as he earned a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Artur Culicovschi at six, as the result came down to the final two matches and two and three.

Both of the final matches went to a third set and it was the Bulls earning a pair of narrow victories as Amar Hromic edged sophomore Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) , 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, at three, and Sergio Arevalillo clipped sophomore Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun), 2-6, 6-1, 7-6.

NIU will conclude the regular season next Saturday, April 23, when it travels to Binghamton, N.Y., to face the Binghamton Bearcats.

Buffalo 5, NIU 2

Doubles
1. Amar Hromic/Pablo Alvarez (UB) def. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU), 6-1
2. Kevin Daun/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) vs. Akhil Mehta/Tony Miller (UB), 5-6 (unfinished)
3. Ethan Nittolo/Sergio Arevalillo (UB) def. Louis-Philippe Hamel/Tom Hjertonsson (NIU), 6-4

Singles
1. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) def. Pablo Alvarez (UB), 7-5, 6-4
2. Sergio Arevalillo (UB) def. Georg Lundkvist (NIU), 2-6, 6-1, 7-6
3. Amar Hromic (UB) def. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU). 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
4. Akhil Mehta (UB) def. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU), 6-4, 6-4
5. Ethan Nittolo (UB) def. Kevin Daun (NIU), 6-3, 7-6
6. Austin Russell (NIU) def. Artur Culicovschi (UB), 6-4, 7-6