GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- In a matchup of nationally-ranked teams, seventh-ranked University of North Georgia outlasted 33rd-ranked Tusculum University 4-3 in non-conference men's tennis action at the Nichols Tennis Complex Friday afternoon.

The Pioneers (7-5) had a 2-0 lead over the Nighthawks (10-3), but North Georgia won four straight singles matches to clinch the victory in a marathon contest that lasted more than six hours. Four of the six singles matches went to three sets, and each of the 16 sets in singles saw the losing player win at least three games.

Tusculum won the doubles point after losing at flight two to open the match, as Nemanja Subanovic and Marco Jalalian teamed for a 6-1 win at flight one over Joaquin Benoit and Ryan Gaskin and Frank Bonacia and Kenta Kondou eked out a 7-6 (7-2) win at flight three over Zach Waldow and Connor Evenson to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the match.

Kondou defeated Waldow 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3 at flight three as the Pioneers went up 2-0 on the Nighthawks, but Benoit, ranked fifth in Division II by the ITA, rallied for a three-set win over Subanovic at flight one and Cole Brainard came from a set down for a victory at flight five over Nathan Matsuguma. Straight-set wins at flights four and six would clinch the win for North Georgia, but Bonacia would close the final margin as the 60th-ranked singles player in Division II outlasted Gaskin at flight two 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5.

Tusculum will host Queens in a key South Atlantic Conference match on Sunday at 10 a.m. The Royals and Pioneers are tied for third place in the SAC with a 4-1 conference record, trailing unbeaten Lenoir-Rhyne (6-0) and Carson-Newman (4-0).