WINONA, Minn. — It wasn't quite as easy, but the end result was just the same.

Just days after ending a season-opening five-match slide with an 8-1 win over Martin Luther, the Saint Mary's University men's tennis team notched its second straight win Wednesday afternoon, slipping past Northwestern College 5-4.

The Cardinals picked up three victories in singles play, then added a pair of doubles wins in pushing their overall record to 2-5 heading into their spring break trip to Hilton Head, S.C.

"Northwestern is much-improved over last year," said SMU coach Jeff Halberg, whose team beat Northwestern 8-1 a year ago. "They gave us a good test, but our guys were up to the challenge.

"It was a good win for us."

Geoff Granseth (Winona, Minn.), Brad Reichuber (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Chad Boyer (Albert Lea, Minn.) were victorious in singles play, but only Boyer took the easy path, winning 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5. Granseth dropped the first set of his match at No. 2, 6-4, but rallied for a 7-5 win in the second set and won the tie-break 10-8. It was much of the same for Reichuber, who won the first set 6-4, dropped the second 3-6, and won the tie-break 10-5.

Granseth and Reichuber then teamed up wo post a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles, while Boyer and Ian Garvey (St. Paul, Minn.) were 8-4 victors at No. 3.

Singles
1. Kyle Rice (N) d. Mark Leeder, 6-3, 6-3
2. Geoff Granseth (SMU) d. Matt Olson, 4-6, 7-5, 10-8
3. Brad Reichuber (SMU) d. Tony Rice, 6-4, 3-6, 10-5
4. Adam Rice (N) d. Bryan Haville, 4-6, 6-4, 10-6
5. Chad Boyer (SMU) d. Ryan Munson, 6-3, 6-2
6. Andy Raupong (N) d. Ian Garvey, 6-0, 6-4

Doubles
1. Granseth-Reichuber (SMU) d. K. Rice-T. Rice, 9-7
2. Olson-A. Rice (N) d. Leeder-Haville, 8-5
3. Boyer-Garvey (SMU) d. Munson-Rampong, 8-4