LA JOLLA, Calif. – California made it close after a 3-0 setback, but in the end the 18th-ranked Golden Bears lost to No. 5 Oklahoma State, 4-3, on Thursday at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.

Oskar Wikberg, Billy Griffith and Florian Lakat all won in singles for the Bears, whose record stood at 6-2 after the nonconference loss to the 12-1 Cowboys.

The Cowboys won the doubles point, as Cal juniors Lakat and Filip Bergevi lost on court one to No. 15 Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe, 6-3, and Wikberg and sophomore J.T. Nishimura fell to OSU's Lukas Finzelberg and Jurence Mendoza, 6-3, on court three.

Cal then lost twice in singles to fall behind 3-0 before mounting a big comeback.

The 52nd-ranked Wikberg began the run with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tristan Meraut on court five, and then the 47th-ranked Lakat made it a 3-2 overall score when he beat the 115th-ranked Temur Ismailov, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, on court two. Sophomore Billy Griffith, ranked 28th, knotted the match at 3-3 with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over the 109th-ranked Kadhe at court three.

The overall match came down to court four, on which the 117th-ranked Filip Bergevi faced OSU's Lucas Gerch. Bergevi lost, 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4, but had a chance to clinch for the Bears.

“We came out slowly and lost the doubles point but stormed back to win the first set on four courts,” Cal head coach Peter Wright said. “We had a match point in the second set of No. 4 singles, and that ended up being the deciding match.

“Credit Oklahoma State for solid play throughout the match. We played well today, and it's clear that we need to continue working hard so we can be one of the teams battling to make a significant impact in conference play and the NCAA championships.”

Cal opens play in the Pacific Coast Doubles Championship on Friday in La Jolla.

No. 5 Oklahoma State (12-1) defeated No. 18 Cal (6-2) – 4-3

March 3, 2016, in La Jolla, Calif.

La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club

Doubles

1. No. 15 Julian Cash/Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Filip Bergevi/Florian Lakat (Cal) – 6-3

2. Andre Goransson/Billy Griffith (Cal) vs. Temur Ismailov/Lucas Gerch (OSU) – 4-3 Abandoned

3. Lukas Finzelberg/Jurence Mendoza (OSU) def. J.T. Nishimura/Oskar Wikberg (Cal) – 6-3

Oklahoma State won the doubles point

Order of Finish – 1, 3*

Singles

1. No. 75 Julian Cash (OSU) def. No. 7 Andre Goransson (Cal) – 6-3, 6-2

2. No. 47 Florian Lakat (Cal) def. No. 115 Temur Ismailov (OSU) – 6-2, 5-7, 6-4

3. No. 28 Billy Griffith (Cal) def. No. 109 Arjun Kadhe (OSU) – 7-5, 7-5

4. Lucas Gerch (OSU) def. No. 117 Filip Bergevi (Cal) – 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-4

5. No. 52 Oskar Wikberg (Cal) def. Tristan Meraut (OSU) – 6-3, 6-4

6. Lukas Finzelberg (OSU) def. J.T. Nishimura (Cal) – 6-4, 6-3

Order of Finish – 1, 6, 5, 2, 3, 4*

 

*Clinched the overall match