IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Drake University men's team dropped its match at Iowa, 4-3, Friday night at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex.
 
The match came down to the final match between Joe Tyler of Iowa (9-3) and Drake's (11-7) Barney Thorold as Tyler clinched the Hawkeyes' first win over the Bulldogs since 2011 as he won 7-6 (7-4), 7-5.
 
Drake fell behind 2-0 after it dropped the doubles point and lost the first singles match at No. 5. The Bulldogs earned their first point with Tom Hands' win in the No. 2 match. Iowa extended its lead to 3-1 with a victory in the No. 3 match, but back-to-back wins by Finley Hall and Vinny Gillespie, respectively, made it 3-3 as it came down to the No. 4 and decisive match.
 
Drake will look to bounce back with a pair of matches Sunday in Michigan. First up for the team is Western Michigan at 10 a.m. followed by another Big Ten foe, Michigan State, at 5 p.m.
 
Iowa 4, Drake 3
Singles competition
1. Vinny Gillespie (DU) def. Kareem Allaf (IOWA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
2. #78 Tom Hands (DU) def. Jonas Larsen (IOWA) 6-3, 6-4
3. Oliver Okonkwo (IOWA) def. Bayo Philips (DU) 6-4, 6-4
4. Joe Tyler (IOWA) def. Barny Thorold (DU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
5. Will Davies (IOWA) def. Calum MacGeoch (DU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Finley Hall (DU) def. Piotr Smietana (IOWA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
 
Doubles competition
1. Kareem Allaf/Jonas Larsen (IOWA) def. #52 Vinny Gillespie/Barny Thorold (DU) 6-4
2. Will Davies/Oliver Okonkwo (IOWA) def. Finley Hall/Bayo Philips (DU) 6-2
3. Tom Hands/Calum MacGeoch (DU) def. Nikita Snezhko/Joe Tyler (IOWA) 6-2
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,2,3,6,1,4)