LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 16 Kentucky claimed the doubles point and four-consecutive singles victories on its way to a 5-2 victory over No. 37 Mississippi State Friday evening at UK?s Boone Tennis Complex.

UK?s Evan Austin and Alex Hume struck first at No. 2 doubles with an 8-4 win over MSU?s Max Fomine and Florent Girod. Kentucky?s Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten followed soon thereafter with an 8-4 win of their own to clinch the doubles point.

Witten, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, did not let up in singles play, dispatching MSU?s Romain Ambert by a 6-3, 6-1 count for a 2-0 Kentucky lead. Esmail extended the Kentucky lead to 3-0 on the strength of an easy 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 5 over Girod. UK?s Nate Emge overcame a second-set deficit to put away the match for Kentucky. Leading by a set at No. 4, Emge saved three set points at 4-5 to win the set, 7-5. Mississippi State added wins at the two and three positions for the final 5-2 margin.

Kentucky (17-7, 7-3) plays for a share of the SEC regular-season title Sunday when the Cats welcome No. 6 Ole Miss for Senior Day. The match is set for 1 p.m. EDT at the Boone Tennis Complex. Live scoring will be available at ukathletics.com.

No. 16 Kentucky 5, No. 37 Mississippi State 2

 Doubles 1. Esmail/Witten (UK) def. Carvalho/Pinto (MSU) ? 8-4 2. Austin/Hume (UK) def. Fomine/Girod (MSU) ? 8-4 3. Emge/Martirosyan (UK) vs. Ambert/Armstrong (MSU) ? 6-5, susp. 

Singles 1. Jesse Witten (UK) def. Romain Ambert (MSU) ? 6-3, 6-1 2. Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) def. Tigran Martirosyan (UK) ? 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 1-0 (10-8) 3. Luiz Carvalho (MSU) def. Evan Austin (UK) ? 7-6(4), 5-7, 1-0 (10-7) 4. Nate Emge (UK) def. Max Fomine (MSU) ? 6-3, 7-5 5. Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Florent Girod (MSU) ? 6-3, 6-3 6. Alex Hume (UK) def. Roman Provenzano (MSU) ? 6-3, 1-6, 6-1