SHAW TO FACE JOHNSON C. SMITH IN CIAA MEN’S TENNIS FINALS Sherri Fillingham 04/16/10 Shaw Defeats Saint Augustine’s 5-0 for Finals Slot Petersburg, VA – Shaw men’s tennis team will make a play for their sixth straight CIAA Championship Saturday against Johnson C. Smith. Shaw defeated Saint Augustine’s 5-0 and Johnson C. Smith battled Virginia State for a 5-2 win Friday. During the regular season, Shaw defeated JCSU 7-2 and 8-1. The championship will be played at the Virginia State Tennis Complex Saturday at 1:00 pm. Shaw breezed past the Falcons in doubles competition for a 3-0 lead heading into singles play. CIAA Player of the Year Fabio Falcato and All-CIAA selection Medhi Ben-Cheikh (SU) defeated Marcel Harley and Demetrius White (SAC) 8-1 in No. 1 doubles. All-CIAA duo Kalada Kienka and Milos Stankovic (SU) blanked Levi Thompson and Kievell Ruffin (SAC) 8-0 in the No. 2 doubles match. Fellow All-CIAA selections Martin Faison and Antoine Jacobs (SU) made a doubles sweep with an 8-5 victory over Coyatito Smith and Miles Roe (SAC) in the third and final doubles competition. Only needing five match points to advance, Stankovic and Ben-Cheikh closed the deal for Shaw with a win at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, respectively. In the second contest of the afternoon, JCSU took an early 2-1 lead after doubles play. All-CIAA selections Jason Stuckey and Aaron Hutcherson (JCSU) dropped the first doubles match to all conference selection John Lanier and Daron Jack 8-4. The Golden Bulls rebounded with an 8-2 win from Robert Butts and McKenzie Bean at the No. 2 doubles spot. The No. 3 doubles match came down to the wire, but Jerald Stuckey and All-CIAA choice Jamil Jones (JCSU) trumped Travis Jones and Harrison Gaskins (VSU) 9-8 with a 7-3 deciding tiebreaker. In singles action, Gaskins (All-CIAA) handled Barren Smith (6-1, 6-0) for the Trojans to tie the match 2-2. Bean, Hutcherson, and Jones earned victories in No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 singles play, respectively for JCSU to advance.