NEWBERG, Ore. – Facing a 3-0 deficit after doubles action, Whitman College's 13th-ranked men's tennis team rallied in singles to steal a 5-4 win over host George Fox University Saturday afternoon in Northwest Conference play.

The Missionaries (5-1, 1-0 NWC) finished off their comeback with a straight-set win at 6-singles by James Rivers over Mitchell Miyahsiro, breaking a 4-4 tie. Whitman captured wins at Nos. 2, 1, 5 and 4-singles to take a 4-3 lead over the Bruins (1-1, 0-1) before Fox pulled back even with a victory at No. 3 singles.

Rivers pounded out a 6-2 win in the first set then put the match away with a resounding 6-0 triumph in the second to complete the come-from-behind win.

Zach Hewlin got the ball rolling for Whitman in singles with his 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 2 over the Bruins' Andrew You. Next to finish was Colton Malesovas at 1-singles with an equally as dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Fox's Chris Lilley.

Chase Friedman continued the Whitman winning streak at No. 5, taking down Vincent Viloria in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-1, with a win that evened the match at 3-3. Petar Jivkov's 2 and 1 win over Nicholas Grafton at 4-singles provided the Missionaries with their first lead of the match, 4-3. But Spencer Watanabe scored an equalizing point for George Fox with his 6-0, 6-2 over Whitman's Phillip Locklear at No. 3, setting up the dramatic finish at 6-singles by Rivers.

Falling behind in the doubles matches has plagued Whitman this season. The University of Idaho and the University of Redlands both carried 2-1 leads into the singles matches earlier this season. The Missionaries rallied for the win against No. 21 Redlands but weren't able to bounce back against Division I Idaho. The 3-0 sweep by Fox in the doubles was the first time since 2007 that Whitman has been swept by a conference opponent.

Strength at singles, as displayed Saturday, can allow the Missionaries to climb back out of any holes dug in the doubles pairings, though.

Whitman continues conference play with its next match, an 11 a.m. battle Sunday at Pacific (Ore.) University in Forest Grove, Oregon.