Senior Jesse Witten picked up his sixth-consecutive singles victory and a doubles win over a highly-ranked opponent, but Mississippi State (7-4, 0-1) proved to be too much for Kentucky (6-3, 1-0), defeating the Cats by a 5-2 count Friday afternoon in Starkville, Miss.

Witten and senior Tigran Martirosyan teamed up for an 8-5 win at the first doubles slot over MSU?s 15th-ranked Luiz Carvalho and Jose-Carlos Pinto to help the Cats clinch the doubles point. Juniors Nate Emge and Alex Hume claimed the first Wildcat doubles win at the third slot, defeating MSU?s Ivan Bjelica and Pierre Mouillon by an 8-2 count.

Witten contributed Kentucky?s lone singles point at the first position, defeating MSU?s Carvalho, 6-1, 7-6 (3), to push his season record to 25-4. Mississippi State?s Mouillon clinched the match with a 4-6-3, 6-1 win over Alex Hume at the fifth singles position.

Kentucky faces another tall order in its next match at No. 5 Ole Miss. The Cats and Rebels will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. EST in Oxford.

No. 39 Mississippi State 5, No. 12 Kentucky 2
Doubles

1. No. 49 Martirosyan/Witten (UK) def. No. 15 Carvalho/Pinto (MSU) ? 8-5
2. Frayssinoux/Girod (MSU) def. Emery/Sundh (UK) ? 8-5
3. Emge/Hume (UK) def. Bjelica/Mouillon (MSU) ? 8-2
Singles

1. No. 3 Jesse Witten (UK) def. Luiz Carvalho (MSU) ? 6-1, 7-6 (3)
2. Phillippe Frayssinous (MSU) def. Matt Emery (UK) ? 6-1, 6-0
3. Ivan Bjelica (MSU) def. No. 41 Nate Emge (UK) ? 6-4, 6-2
4. Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) def. Tigran Martirosyan (UK) ? 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2)
5. Pierre Mouillon (MSU) def. Alex Hume (UK) ? 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
6. Florent Girod (MSU) def. Nolan Polley (UK) ? 6-2, 6-3