BOISE, Idaho - Boise State opened its home campaign with a dominating 5-2 victory over the Pacific-12's Utah Utes Friday afternoon in the Boas Indoor Tennis. Boise State opened by sweeping all three doubles matches, then followed by winning the first four singles contests before the Utes earned a team point. The win improved the Broncos to 4-7 overall and 1-0 at home, Utah fell to 7-4.

"First of all there is no place like home! It is so good to be playing on our home courts," said coach Greg Patton. "This was one tough match and it put us through the ringer, we had to fight back time and again against a good Utah team. We had to fight back in the doubles and we had to fight back in several singles matches. My guys have heart and spirit, those are the type of guys I want, the guys who will fight to the end, not give up and will hang in there. This was a big win for us coming in off six long weeks on the road."

Boise State opened by sweeping all three doubles matches over the Utes. It was not easy as two of the contests went to tiebreakers but the Broncos prevailed. It began on court one where Garrett Patton and Toby Mitchell teamed up to defeat Utah's Matt Cowley and Parker McGuiness 6-3 to improve to 6-3 overall in duals this semester. The last two doubles matches finished within minutes of each other as Brian Foley and Abe Hewko edged Utah's Justin Archer and Jamey Swiggart 7-6 (6). Foley and Hewko earned the point clinching victory and are now 3-5 this spring.

That was followed moments later by Lewis Roskilly and Thomas Tenreiro's 7-6 (4) victory on court two versus Johan Jonhagen and Santiago Sierra. The Bronco tandem now has a team-best 7-1 mark this spring.

The Broncos opened the singles portion of the match by sprinting out to a quick 3-0 lead. Patton gave the Blue and Orange a 2-0 lead when he defeated the Utes' McGuiness 6-3, 6-4 on court one. He is now 10-7 overall and 5-4 in duals this spring. Thomas Tenreiro moved to court two against Utah where he downed Cowley in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. The junior from Miami, Fla., is now 7-12 this season.

The decisive point came from junior Brian Foley who won in two sets 6-4, 6-4 to hand the Broncos the team victory. He downed Utah's Santiago Sierra and improved to 10-12 in singles on the year and 6-4 in duals this semester.

Abe Hewko earned the final team point for Boise State in a big way. The sophomore lost the opening set and trailed 4-2 in the second frame before he rallied. Hewko came back by sweeping four straight games to win set two and force a third set. He won the final set to claim the match and finished the night with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory on court six.

The final two contests where tight and saw the Broncos rally from one set down to push the matches into 10-point tiebreakers for the third set. Mitchell fell 6-3 in set one, then regrouped to win the second in a tiebreaker 7-6(5). Unfortunately, after battling through the 10-point tiebreak in which he had a match point at 10-9, he fell 12-10 to Utah's Freddie McGeehan. Mitchell is now 9-9 overall and 4-5 in duals.

The final match was freshman Lewis Roskilly's on court five. He also lost the opening set, rallied to win the second only to fall in a 10-point third set tiebreaker. Roskilly fell 6-3, 6-7(9), 1-0 (12-10) to Jonhagen. The native of England is now 7-9 in singles on the year and 3-4 in duals.

Match Summary

Doubles competition

 

1. Toby Mitchell/Garrett Patton (BSU) def. Matt Cowley/Parker McGuiness (UTAH) 6-3
2. Lewis Roskilly/Thomas Tenreiro (BSU) def. Johan Jonhagen/Santiago Sierra (UTAH) 7-6 (4)
3. Brian Foley/Abe Hewko (BSU) def. Justin Archer/Jamey Swiggart (UTAH) 7-6 (6)

Order of finish: 1,3,2

Singles competition

1. Garrett Patton (BSU) def. Parker McGuiness (UTAH) 6-3, 6-4
2. Thomas Tenreiro (BSU) def. Matt Cowley (UTAH) 6-4, 6-4
3. Freddie McGeehan (UTAH) def. Toby Mitchell (BSU) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (12-10)
4. Brian Foley (BSU) def. Santiago Sierra (UTAH) 6-4, 6-4
5. Johan Jonhagen (UTAH) def. Lewis Roskilly (BSU) 6-3, 6-7 (9-11), 1-0 (10-2)
6. Abe Hewko (BSU) def. LP Gascon (UTAH) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Order of finish: 1,2,4,6,3,5