STILLWATER, Okla. - Junior Juuso Laitinen fought off three match points to rally for a victory as the Lamar University Cardinals knocked off No. 47 Iowa, 4-2, Sunday in Stillwater, Okla. The victory was the second match in a doubleheader that saw LU take on two ranked teams recording. LU (7-4) dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 5 Oklahoma State in the first match of the afternoon.

After getting off the court with the doubles point in just two matches against Iowa, the Cardinals faced tough battles on all six singles courts including three matches that went to a third set. The two teams split the three matches with each team recording a win and the third match being called after the team outcome was decided.

"We had the momentum from the beginning starting with doubles," said head coach Scott Shankles. "We got off to good starts on all three doubles courts which added to the confidence we already had going into the match. It was the same thing in singles. We got the momentum and kept pressing them."

The team of juniors Jeandre Hoogenboezem and Nikita Lis got the first win against Iowa when they recorded a 6-3 decision at No. 2 doubles. The duo of Michael Feucht and Benny Schweizer followed suit moments later with a 6-4 win at No. 1 to clinch the point. Although Feucht and Schweizer locked up the doubles point against the Hawkeyes, it wouldn't be their biggest victory of the afternoon.

The Hawkeyes bounced back in singles to tie the match at one with a straight-sets victory at No. 5 singles. Schweizer answered right back with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Jonas Larsen at No. 4 singles. Freshman Sebastian Santibanez did his best Schweizer impression by bouncing his opponent - Dominic Patrick - by an identical score at the third spot.

Only one point shy of locking up the match, it appeared that Feucht was going to give the Red and White the victory at No. 1 singles. Feucht won his opening set in a tiebreaker but the match was forced to a third set and Feucht fell to Lefteris Theodorou, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2.

The LU victory would come moments later when Laitinen battled through a rollercoaster of a match to pick up the win. After taking the opening set over Iowa's Jake Jacoby, 6-3, Laitinen faltered in the second, 6-4. The rollercoaster continued in the third and final set as Laitinen won in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-4).

"Juuso saved three match points against his opponent," said Shankles. "They had momentum until that time, but Juuso staying in his match and continuing to fight seemed to pick up the rest of our guys. We always believed we could play well against ranked opponents. We've continued to hang in there and we knew if we did that things would eventually go our way. Even in the matches we've lost, they have been close if you look at the individual courts."

LU drew first blood in the opening match of the day. The Cards' team of Feucht and Schweizer recorded a dominant 6-2 victory over the nation's ninth-ranked team - Arjun Kadhe and Julian Cash. Cash and Kadhe are two of the nation's top singles players as well ranking among the countries top 115 and compete at line one and two singles respectively.

Unfortunately, the Cards were unable to hold the momentum dropping the final two doubles matches. After the doubles competition was tied up at one, the team of Hoogenboezem and Lis battled OSU's Tristan Meraut and Lucas Gerch down to the wire at the No. 2 position, but came up just short getting edged out, 6-4.

The Cardinals were unable to pick up a singles victory as the match was called as soon as the fourth and deciding point was scored. The Cowboys picked up their wins at Nos. 5, 3 and 2 singles respectively but the Cardinals were locked in heavy battles in the three unfinished matches. Feucht was up in the third set, 4-3, over Cash when it was called, while Schweizer rallied from a 7-5 setback in the first to force a third set. It was one of three matches Big Red forced to a third set against the nation's fifth ranked team.

The Cardinals have very little time to enjoy the victory as they will be in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday to take on the University of Omaha in a 10 a.m. match. The Red and White will then make the short trip over to Lincoln for a 4 p.m. match against Nebraska.
Singles
1. #49 Julian Cash (OSU) vs. Michael Feucht (LU), 6-3, 3-6, 3-4 Unf.
2. #115 Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Nikita Lis (LU), 7-6, 6-3
3. Lucas Gerch (OSU) def. Sebastian Santibanez (LU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Tristan Meraut (OSU) vs. Benny Schweizer (LU), 7-5, 4-6 Unf.
5. Lukas Finzelberg (OSU) def. Jeandre Hoogenboezem (LU), 6-3, 6-2
6. #125 Jurence Mendoza (OSU) vs. Juuso Laitinen (LU), 3-6, 6-3, 3-0 Unf.

Doubles
1. Feucht/Schweizer (LU) def. #9 Kadhe/Cash (OSU), 6-2
2. Meraut/Gerch (OSU) def. Hoogenboezem/Lis (LU), 6-4
3. Finzelberg/Mendoza (OSU) def. Laitinen/Santibanez (LU), 6-3

Singles
1. Lefteris Theodorou (UI) def. Michael Feucht (LU), 6-7, 6-3, 6-2
2. Nikita Lis (LU) vs. Josh Silverstein (UI), 6-3, 5-7, 5-3 Unf.
3. Sebastian Santibanez (LU) def. Dominic Patrick (UI), 6-3, 6-2
4. Benny Schweizer (LU) def. Jonas Larsen (UI), 6-3, 6-2
5. Robin Haden (UI) def. Jeandre Hoogenboezem (LU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Juuso Laitinen (LU) def. Jake Jacoby (UI), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6

Doubles
1. Feucht/Schweizer (LU) def. Theodorou/Jacoby (UI), 6-4
2. Liz/Hoogenboezem (LU) def. Silverstein/Patrick (UI), 6-3
3. Laitinen/Santibanez (LU) vs. Nils Hallestrand/Haden (UI), 4-5 Unf.