NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? UK senior Jesse Witten claimed his 12th-consecutive singles match, and senior Tigran Martirosyan captured his eighth-straight win, as No. 12 Kentucky ended its regular season with a 5-2 win over No. 36 Vanderbilt Saturday at the Currey Tennis Center in Nashville.

Kentucky (19-8, 6-5) opened the match by claiming the doubles point. UK?s 12th-ranked tandem of Martirosyan and Witten fell at first doubles, but the Cats responded at the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles positions. Matt Emery and Marcus Sundh turned away Vandy?s Evan Dufaux and Ryan Preston by an 8-5 margin, and Nate Emge and Alex Hume registered an 8-5 win at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point.

After Vanderbilt?s Preston evened the tally with a straight-set win over Emery at No. 5, Witten collected his 10th conference victory, defeating 45th-ranked Scott Brown by a 6-4, 6-4 count. With the conference?s top record at the No. 1 singles position, Witten likely will pick up his first SEC Player of the Year award at next week?s conference postseason awards banquet.

UK?s Emge dealt Vanderbilt?s Matt Lockin a 6-2, 6-4 defeat at third singles, and Kentucky?s Martirosyan put away the Commodores (12-10, 3-8) with a come-from-behind three-set victory over Vanderbilt?s Nathan Sachs. VU added a straight-set win from Jason Pinsky at No. 2, and UK?s Marcus Sundh registered the final Wildcat point with a three-set win over Vandy?s Dufaux.

Kentucky will return to action next Thursday in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Georgia?s Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Cats? seed and first-round opponent have yet to be determined.

No. 12 Kentucky 5, No. 36 Vanderbilt 2

Doubles

1. No. 26 Brown/Pinsky (VU) def. No. 12 Witten/Martirosyan (UK) – 8-6
2. Emge/Hume (UK) def. Mack/Sachs (VU) – 8-5
3. Emery/Sundh (UK) def. Dufaux/Preston (VU) – 8-5

Singles

1. No.4 Jesse Witten (UK) def. No. 45 Scott Brown (VU) – 6-4, 6-4
2. Jason Pinsky (VU) def. Alex Hume (UK) – 6-3, 7-6 (4)
3. Nate Emge (UK) def. Matt Lockin (VU) – 6-2, 6-4
4. Tigran Martirosyan (UK) def. Nathan Sachs (VU) – 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
5. Ryan Preston (VU) def. Matt Emery (UK) – 6-4, 6-2
6. Marcus Sundh (UK) def. Evan Dufaux (VU) – 3-6, 6-4, 6-1