MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Oglethorpe and Centre once again played to a tight finish, this time in the semifinals of the Southern Athletic Association tournament on Saturday, but the Stormy Petrels were dealt a 5-3 loss, ending their season one step shy of the SAA title match. Oglethorpe finished another outstanding year with a final record of 12-3 (6-1 SAA) having won nine of the last 11 matches. 

Oglethorpe and Centre played to a 5-4 Oglethorpe win in the regular-season meeting one week ago. But Saturday the Petrels got off to a slower start as Centre took two of the three doubles points. It would prove to be the difference as Daniel Cohen and Kirkman Kiker repeated their wins of the No. 2 and No. 4 singles matches, respectively. Zoe Raymond, who won in straight sets at No. 5 singles during the regular season, had just bounced back to win the second set and force a third when the clinching point came for Centre. 

Cohen had also bounced back from a first-set loss to win in three, in fact winning the second and third set in decided fashion. Kiker won 6-4, 6-2.

Oglethorpe's other point came from the No. 1 doubles court as Ameya Dani and Cohen defeated Centre's Faraz Ghamgosar and Ashton Whitt 8-3. 

Match Notes

• This match proved to be the closest matchup of the season for Oglethorpe. Oglethorpe and Centre were No. 2 and No. 3 in the SAA and No. 17 and No. 16 in the NCAA Division III Atlantic South Region
• Cohen finished the season with 13 wins alongside only two losses in singles, leading the team in singles victories
• Cohen went 9-2 at No. 2 singles and 4-0 at No. 3 singles
• Cameron Burkes and Raymond both finished with 10 wins
• Burkes and Raymond posted the most doubles wins with an 11-4 record together
• Vincent Claussen and Kiker followed next with a 9-5 record together