GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women's tennis team battled but came up short against Southern Conference opponent Furman, 5-2, Saturday at the UNCG Tennis Courts.

UNCG falls to 4-8, 2-1 in the SoCon on the season while Furman improves to 9-5, 2-0 in league action.

The Paladins took a 1-0 lead after winning two of three doubles matches. Stephanie Falcon (Marietta, Ga./Walton) and Soumeya Anane (Coventry, Great Britain/Tile Hill Wood School) won at No. 3 doubles in a tiebreaker 8-7 (7-5) against Margaret Boyette and Karlee Bryde earning the lone win in doubles. Katherine Oudin and Alex Moreno defeated Devon Sutherland (Lake Wylie, S.C./Clover) and Kayla Gammie (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Broward Virtual School), 8-4, at No. 1 doubles. Furman clinched the point with an 8-5 victory at No. 2 doubles as Ansley Speaks and Blair Martin took down freshman Yasmin Franco (Largo, Fla./Indian Rocks Christian) and senior Dilara Yurtkuran (Istanbul, Turkey/Gunes Koleji)

Speaks gave Furman a 2-0 lead after a straight sets victory against Yurtkuran, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Kelly Sullivan defeated sophomore Jamie Grinberg (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill), 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5 singles to push the lead to 3-0.

Martin clinched the match for the Paladins with a straight sets win against sophomore Amy Ellis (Cheshire, Great Britain/Newcastle Under Lyme School), 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.

UNCG would fight back to win as Falcon defeated Oudin, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. Gammie earned the Spartans their second point with a three set win at No. 4 singles against Bryde, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10). Gammie won the second set, 6-3 and won the third set super tiebreaker 12-10.

In the final match, Furman earned its fifth point with a tough three set win as Moreno outlasted Anane, 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 1-0 (10-8) at No. 2 singles.

The Spartans return to action on Thursday, Mar. 27 against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. at 3 p.m.

Follow all the action about the 2014 UNCG Women's tennis team on www.UNCGSpartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports.