Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Freshman Cole Horton picked up where he left off in his excellent start to his Owls career, winning his singles and doubles matchups and clinching No. 11 William Woods University's (3-3) lone point as it dropped a 6-1 decision to NCAA Division II Drury University (5-2) Sunday at Cooper Tennis Complex.

Horton and doubles partner, sophomore Paulo Lopes Ferreira, put the Owls on the right foot to begin their spring slate, taking the first finalized matchup in 14 minutes at the three-slot, 6-2, over the Panthers' Jad Rissassi and Emile Payment.

The second and third doubles points lasted around 50 minutes each. Drury leveled it when Lukas Rieber and Yaroslav Sharyy prevailed 6-4 over WWU's Noah Burton and Robbie Schorr in the top position. Not even a second later, the Panthers secured the doubles point after Mark Drozdetskii and Oscar Reis won 7-6 (7-3) against the Owls' Aoi Ooka and Jesper Seger in the two spot.

After winning the first two singles matchups, Drury increased its advantage to 3-0. The Panthers earned their first singles point at the five line with Drozdetskii beating Seger 6-1, 6-0, then Rieber defeated Schorr 6-2, 6-1 at the four to give DU its second singles point. 

Horton halted the Panthers' four-matchup winning streak by prevailing 6-2, 6-3 over Matthieu Gachon in the three slot to narrow William Woods' deficit to 3-1.

Unfortunately for the Owls, Drury secured the last three singles points, with Chuy Gonzalez winning 6-4, 6-2 against Ooka at the two, Sharyy beating Burton 6-3, 6-4 at the one and Reis 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7) defeating Thomas Geukemeijer, a WWU freshman from Heythuysen, Netherlands competing in his first collegiate match.

The Owls host Feed-Hardeman University (2-2) in their first official home match of the season next Sunday at Suzanne Neal Memorial Tennis Complex in Fulton. The Owls are 3-0 all-time against the Lions, including a 7-0 triumph last season on March 29 in Fulton.