BOLIVAR, Mo. - In a match that spanned two cities and almost seven hours, No. 47 Harding suffered a narrow 5-4 loss to No. 16 Northwest Missouri on Friday.

The match started on the six courts at Southwest Baptist University. Harding won two of the three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead. The Bisons' No. 2 team of Brandon Hogland and Jon Mark Rowden upset Alvaro Riveros and Julien Couronne, the No. 8 doubles team in the Central Region, 9-7. Caleb McReynolds and Josh Hurt, playing together for just the second time, combined for a tight 8-6 victory over Roamin Boissinot and Amery Clews at No. 3.

The men's teams then waited while the Harding and Northwest Missouri women's teams finished their match, which Harding won 5-1. After about a 90-minute break, the men resumed play and Northwest Missouri quick erased Harding's lead.

Northwest Missouri won at No. 4, No. 6, and No. 3 to take a 4-2 lead.

Then the rains came.

The two coaches decided to move the final three matches to the Cooper Tennis Center in Springfield, Mo., about 45 minutes away.

After the matches resume, Northwest Missouri earned the clinching point at No. 5, where Harding's Caleb McReynolds battled but fell 6-3, 7-6.

Harding won the two remaining matches. Bison freshman Mathaus Spiering defeated Sergio De Vilchez, the No. 20 singles player in NCAA II, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 at No. 1. Spiering improved to 2-0 against nationally-ranked opponents and 5-1 against regionally-ranked players.

Harding's Yann Le Mat won the final match with a three-set victory over Romain Boissinot, the No. 7 ranked singles player in the Central Region. It was Le Mat's first victory over a regionally-ranked opponent.

Harding will play its sixth-straight nationally-ranked opponent Wednesday when it hosts No. 40 Ouachita Baptist at the Harding Tennis Center. The match is the first of two scheduled between Harding and Ouachita Baptist and will not count as a Great American Conference match.

Tennis Match Results
Northwest Mo. St. vs Harding
Mar 28, 2014 at Bolivar, Mo./Springfield, Mo.
(SBU/Cooper Tennis Center)

#16 Northwest Mo. St. 5, #47 Harding 4

 Singles competition
1. Mathaus Spiering (HU) def. #20 Sergio De Vilchez (NWMSU) 6-4, 6-7, 6-4
2. Yann Le Mat (HU) def. Romain Boissinot (NWMSU) 2-6, 7-6, 7-6
3. Alvaro Riveros (NWMSU) def. Jon Mark Rowden (HU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Luis Altimires (NWMSU) def. Brandon Hogland (HU) 6-0, 6-1
5. Julien Couronne (NWMSU) def. Caleb McReynolds (HU) 6-3, 7-6
6. Hicham Azzaoui (NWMSU) def. Germans Uglovs (HU) 6-2, 6-0

 Doubles competition
1. #12 Sergio De Vilchez/Luis Altimires (NWMSU) def. Mathaus Spiering/Yann Le Mat (HU) 8-2
2. Brandon Hogland/Jon Mark Rowden (HU) def. Alvaro Riveros/Julien Couronne (NWMSU) 9-7
3. Caleb McReynolds/Josh Hurt (HU) def. Romain Boissinot/Amery Clews (NWMSU) 8-6

Match Notes:
Northwest Mo. St. 9-1; National ranking #16; Regional ranking #1
Harding 5-5; National ranking #47; Regional ranking #4