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PROVIDENCE – After losing two of their last three matches, the defending Division II boys tennis champions needed to make a statement.

Consider it made.

North Kingstown traveled to Providence to take on undefeated Classical and took care of business with a 6-1 win, a sure sign to the rest of Division II that while the Skippers might not be atop the standings, winning the title still goes through them.

“It was tough, but you have to persevere through that kind of stuff,” NK’s Max Zangari said. “That’s what winning teams, teams that can make it to the finals, that’s just what they do.

“We just came out here and try to get the dub.”

North Kingstown returned half of its lineup from last season, included three of its four singles players and entered the year as the favorites to repeat as champions in Division II.

Then something funny happened – the Skippers lost a match they shouldn’t.

On paper the 5-2 loss to RM – the co-op of Rogers and Middletown – certainly raised eyebrows, but the defeat was really out of circumstance. The match took place on spring vacation, NK didn’t have enough varsity and JV players to field a complete team and had to forfeit third doubles and had nearly everyone out of position.

The same couldn’t be said for North Kingstown’s 4-3 loss to East Greenwich last week. That defeat was harder to stomach, but the Skippers took the L for what it was. The Avengers were No. 2 on the list of favorites heading into the year and beat North in last year’s regular-season finale before NK got its revenge in the D-II title match.

What the loss ultimately did was turn Tuesday’s match against Classical into a must-win – and one the Skippers were ready for.

“We were just coming in like it was any other match,” Zangari said. “It’s just come in with confidence, play our game and get the win.”

Any drama was stripped away in a hurry. Zagari and partner Will Michaud won in straight sets over Classical’s Peter Breen and Jalen Summers, 6-1, 6-3, and it wasn’t long after that NK’s singles lineup finished things off.

Brady Hanks was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Becket DeShaw at No. 2, Drew Neville won 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3 and Owen Tegan closed out a tight sweep over Eli Woda at No. 4, 6-4, 7-6 (6).

“We’re definitely feeling confident,” NK No. 1 Charlie Lawton said. “We were on the bus talking that they were 8-0, undefeated, so this is definitely a big confidence-booster for us.”

North is still confident in its title defense, but knows there’s work to be done.

Division II offers no regular-season rematches, so if the Skippers want to avenge their losses, it’ll have to be in the playoffs. East Greenwich and East Providence are still undefeated in D-II – the Avengers will host the Townies Thursday – and Classical is also ahead of NK in the standings, but still has to play EG and EP this season.

If North runs the table, it can still earn a top two seed and while No. 1 seems unlikely, going into the postseason on a massive win streak and at No. would undoubtedly give it the confidence it needs to win another title.

“We just have to be ourselves and do what we can,” Zangari said. “We have to play our game I guess.”

SINGLES: Ethan Montane, C, def. Charlie Lawton, NK, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 3-6; Brady Hanks, NK, def. Becket DeShaw, C, 6-1, 6-3; Drew Neville, NK, def. Nate Johnson, C, 6-1, 6-4; Owen Tegan, NK, def. Eli Woda, 6-4 7-6 (6).

DOUBLES: Will Michaud/Max Zangari, NK, def. Peter Breen/Jalen Summers, C, 6-1, 6-3; Aaron Montoya/Constantin Reinecke, NK, def. Henry Charlesworth/Peter Trimble, C, 6-7 (1), 6-1, 10-7; Alex Ashton/Alex Votta, NK, def. Julian Carlson/Alex Vileno, C, 6-3, 6-1.