MADISON, Miss. -- The ULM men's golf team advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Championship match after defeating Marshall 3-1-1 in the semifinals before falling in a thrilling back-and-forth match versus Arkansas State in the championship game on Thursday (April 25) at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss. The final match between Melan Dhaubhadel and Thomas Schmidt needed 20 holes to determine a winner, with Schmidt outlasting Dhaubhadel for the deciding match of the conference tournament.

In the semifinals, the Warhawks punched their ticket to the championship match with a 3-1-1 win over Marshall. Mikkel Schmitt started strong. Schmitt won five of the first six holes and led by seven holes at the turn. Schmitt secured the first win for the Warhawks with a dominating 7&6 victory. Ylan Guerin Pozzalo racked up win number two for the Warhawks after winning his match 5&4. Theis Poulsen drained a putt on the 16th hole. Louis Anceaux fell 3&2 while Dhaubhadel was tied when play was suspended.

In the championship match, the Warhawks and Red Wolves split matches 1-4. Pozzalo began to pull away from his opponent after winning hole seven and led by as many as three strokes with 11 holes to go. Pozzalo generated a point for ULM. With A-State taking matches one and four, Anceaux and his opponent were tied at the 12th hole, but pulled away with wins at hole 13 and 14 with one final victory at 16 to clinch the match and sending the deciding match point to match number 5.

Dhaubhadel gained a one-hole advantage by winning the 14th hole and maintained his lead for three holes. Arkansas State's Thomas Schmidt rallied and evened the score with a brilliant approach on 17. On 18, Schmidt sent his tee shot into the water but regrouped and made it onto the green in three shots with a look at birdie. Dhaubhadel had a look at a birdie putt to claim the championship on 18, but the putt was just off the mark. The pair returned to play hole one anì both pared the hole. In the second playoff hole, Schmidt stuck his tee shot within 20 feet of the up. Dhaubhadel was unable to get up and down off the tee, and Schmidt parred the final hole of the Sun Belt Championship, with Arkansas State winning the championship in an epic match play finals.