BALTIMORE, Md. (March 9, 2025) -- After a challenging start to the season, the Morgan State men's team finally tasted victory, breaking the seal with a dominant 6-1 win against Wagner College on Sunday afternoon at Twin Lakes Racquet Club. This win marks a turning point for the team, as they attempt to build on the momentum as they continue their season.
The Bears showcased their fight in doubles play right from the opening serve, seizing the crucial doubles point and setting a strong tone for the day. Anchoring this success was the duo of Makkijha Brown and Niles Rachal, who engaged in a hard-fought contest against Carlos Rodriguez-Gonzales and Gabriele Zugarelli on court one. Their match ultimately culminated in a 6-4 victory. Building on this momentum, Mikeal Carpenter and Bertin Karenzi delivered a decisive performance, overpowering Antoine Nivault and Joshua Zhao with a commanding 6-1 win, solidifying the Bears' dominance.
The momentum stayed firmly with Morgan as the singles matches commenced, their dominance showing no signs of waning. While the team enjoyed relative control overall, Carpenter faced a grueling battle on court one against Carlos Rodriguez-Gonzales. After dropping the second set, Carpenter dug deep, ultimately clinching the victory in a hard-fought 6-3, 2-6, 3-6 scoreline.
Makkijha Brown also found himself in a three-set tussle, overcoming Wagner's Damian Janiszewski with a final score of 6-2, 3-6, 10-5, adding another crucial win to Morgan's tally. These tightly contested matches highlighted the individual determination within the Morgan squad, even as they maintained their overall commanding presence.
The Morgan Head Coach, Matthew Townes, lauded the team's collective effort after Niles Rachal, Yessine Kerouat, Majdi Ben Abdelwahed, and Mohamed Ridha Ghettas secured individual victories, marking a successful end to the day.
"It was a great team effort today," said Townes. "We know the wins will come if we stay focused on getting better every day. Our freshmen stepped up in a big way for us."
The combination of experienced athletes and impactful newcomers paints a picture of a team with a promising future.
The team returns to action on Tuesday (March 11) against Harford Community College, before they face Goucher College on Friday (March 14).
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
