WHITTIER, Calif.  Whitman's 11th-ranked men's tennis team stormed back from the brink during singles action Friday against No. 2 Bowdoin (Maine) College, but the Polar Bears did just enough to hang on for a hard-fought 5-4 non-conference victory over the Blues on the Richard Ettinger Tennis Courts at Whittier College.

Whitman (8-5) went down 3-0 to Bowdoin (6-0) after doubles play, but faced the deficit head on and leaned into it.

Zach Hewlin won in straight sets at No. 1 (7-6, 6-2) over Grant Urken for the Blues' first point, with Alex Hwang securing another Whitman point with his 2 and 4 win over Tristan Young at 5-singles.

Rajul Chikkalingaiah went straight sets (2, 1) for a victory at No. 6, but the Polar Bears re-found their bite with a straight-set win of their own at No. 3.

Robert Carter and Bowdoin's Justin Patel went three sets at 4-singles, with Patel carving up a 6-2 win in the opening set to threaten a quick match. But Carter found his hunger and bit back, topping Patel 6-4 in the second to square the match, then finishing the comeback with a 6-4 win in the deciding third.

All the while, Ben Kirsh and BC's Luke Tercek were vying for the important point at No. 2. Kirsh drew first blood with a 6-3 win, but Tercek bounced back with a pair of 6-2 sets to finally slay Whitman's upset bid.

The Blues will conclude their spring break trip Saturday afternoon in Pepperdine, California, with a 1 p.m. bout against No. 23 Sewanee: University of the South.