DENVER, Colo. – Revenge was on the minds of the third-seeded Montana State Billings men's tennis team as it won 5-3 over No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney in the semifinals of the 2011 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tennis Championship at the Gates Tennis Center. 

“MSUB has put itself on the NCAA tennis map with a hard-fought win over Nebraska-Kearney,” first-year MSUB head coach Lew Kosich said.  “Tomorrow we play nationally ranked Western New Mexico for the RMAC title.”

The Jackets opened the tournament Friday with a 5-2 win over Colorado State-Pueblo earlier in the day and now will play nationally ranked Western New Mexico for the RMAC title tomorrow at 12 p.m.

UNK (15-7) handed the Yellowjackets a tough, 5-4 loss in Billings, April 2, in what was probably one of the most thrilling matches of the season.  A large crowd of students, parents, fans and a number of other Yellowjacket teams were on hand to watch the match as it came right down to the wire. 

Today, however, the Jackets (12-9, 10-8 against four-year schools) came out and took the early lead 2-1 with a pair of doubles wins.  Sophomore Navin Marimuthu and freshman Kavindu Gamage defeated UNK's top duo of Josh Raymond and Yeswanth Nadella 8-6, while junior Alonso Leon and freshman Thomas Staffileno downed Rodrigo Duncan and Josh Smith at No. 3 doubles 8-4. 

The 'Lopers evened the match at 2-2 with a win by Raymond over Marimuthu at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-2, however, key wins by the Jackets at Nos. 2-4 sealed the victory for the Yellowjackets and a berth in the finals.

Senior Delbert Landicho battled back at No. 4 singles from a first set 6-3 loss to win the second set 7-6(4) in a tiebreaker and won the third set 6-4 in the only match to go the distance. 

In the match versus sixth-seeded Colorado State-Pueblo, the Yellowjackets opened doubles play with wins at Nos. 1 and 3 for a 2-1 lead heading into singles.  Marimuthu and Gamage downed Anthony Breitenbach and Tom Chavez, 8-3, while Leon and Staffileno defeated Mateus Vasconcelos and Rafael Rivera 8-6 at No.3 Marimuthu/Gamage earned second team doubles all-RMAC honors announced earlier in the day.

Marimuthu defeated Bruno Hurtado at No. 1, 7-5, 6-1, while Leon battled back from a first set loss (6-1) to win 6-1, 6-3 in the final two sets.  Landicho made quick work of Chavez at No. 4, 6-1, 6-2, while Rivera defeated MSUB freshman Brad Knutson at No. 5 for the Thunderwolves' only singles win. 

Staffileno and Vasconcelos did not finish as the Jackets already had clinched the match. 

Marimuthu and Leon earned all-conference honors as Marimuthu earned first team singles honors, while Leon was a second team singles selection.

Montana State Billings 5, Colorado State-Pueblo 2

Singles competition

1. Navin Marimuthu (MSUB) def. Bruno Hurtado (CSUP) 7-5, 6-1

2. Alonso Leon (MSUB) def. Anthony Breitenbach (CSUP) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3

3. Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) vs. Saul Shrom (CSUP) unfinished

4. Delbert Landicho (MSUB) def. Tom Chavez (CSUP) 6-1, 6-2

5. Rafael Rivera (CSUP) def. Brad Knutson (MSUB) 6-3, 6-2

6. Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) vs. Mateus Vasconcelos (CSUP) unfinished

Doubles competition

1. Navin Marimuthu/Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) def. Anthony Breitenbach/Tom Chavez (CSUP) 8-3

2. Bruno Hurtado/Saul Shrom (CSUP) def. Delbert Landicho/Brad Knutson (MSUB) 8-4

3. Alonso Leon/Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) def. Mateus Vasconcelos/Rafael Rivera (CSUP) 8-6

Match Notes:

Colorado State-Pueblo 4-18; Regional ranking #7

Montana State Billings 9-8; Regional ranking #4

MSUB No. 3 seed, CSUP No. 6 seed

Montana State Billings 5, Nebraska-Kearney 3

Singles competition

1. Josh Raymond (UNK) def. Navin Marimuthu (MSUB) 6-3, 6-2

2. Alonso Leon (MSUB) def. Yeswanth Nadella (UNK) 7-5, 6-2

3. Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) def. Rodrigo Duncan (UNK) 7-5, 6-1

4. Delbert Landicho (MSUB) def. John Steinke (UNK) 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4

5. Kyle Conzemius (UNK) def. Brad Knutson (MSUB) 6-0, 6-3

6. Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) vs. Josh Smith (UNK) unfinished

Doubles competition

1. Navin Marimuthu/Kavindu Gamage (MSUB) def. Josh Raymond/Yeswanth Nadella (UNK) 8-6

2. Kyle Conzemius/John Steinke (UNK) def. Delbert Landicho/Brad Knutson (MSUB) 8-3

3. Alonso Leon/Thomas Staffileno (MSUB) def. Rodrigo Duncan/Josh Smith (UNK) 8-4