URBANA — Doubles play has been the greatest weakness of the Northwestern women’s tennis team all season. But when it really mattered, it was the squad’s most important weapon.

On Sunday in Urbana, Ill., the No. 19 Wildcats rallied behind an emotional doubles point win to defeat top-seeded Minnesota 4-2 and capture their fifth straight Big Ten tournament championship.

NU (19-8) clinched the doubles point when the No. 1 team of Cristelle Grier and Jessica Rush won a tiebreaker after battling Minnesota’s Angela Buergis and Nischela Reddy to an 8-8 tie. The tiebreaker was decided when Buergis’ shot hit the net and bounced to Grier, who put the match away with a furious overhand smash beyond the reach of the Minnesota (18-6) players.

While the NU players carried the excitement of winning a closely contested doubles point into the singles matches, the Gophers looked tired and dejected. Buergis, who earlier had cursed the sideline when a spectator’s phone rang, looked especially flat, and was dominated in the singles competition by Grier 6-1, 6-1.

“I just don’t think she knew how to beat me,” Grier said. “She wasn’t prepared to go deeper.”

NU coach Claire Pollard said there was no question that the doubles point was a key to the Cats’ victory.

“I think it broke their spirit a little bit,” Pollard said. “It’s an intimidating task to come in and play the team that won it four years in a row, especially when you go down a point.”

In addition to Grier, Stacy Kokx and Andrea Yung contributed singles wins to the Cats’ cause. Playing at the No. 6 position, Kokx defeated Minnesota’s Brandi Watts 6-1, 6-0. Pollard said she was most proud of Kokx, who spent part of this season on the sideline but was able to contribute in the tournament for the first time in her three years at NU.

“She came through so big this weekend,” Pollard said. “She should be the MVP of the tournament.”

Yung’s singles victory was the point that clinched the championship for NU. After winning a hard-fought first set 7-5 against Minnesota’s Michaela Havelkova, Yung took an early lead in the second set.

Havelkova evened the score at two games, but with the support of her teammates, Yung stormed back to win the match 6-2. For Yung, the win over Havelkova was especially sweet because the Gophers’ senior had defeated her when the Cats fell to the Minnesota on April 6.

“When I went up 3-2, I told myself to keep working hard and keep running for everything,” Yung said. “Then it just sort of happened.”

When Yung’s match ended, the Cats ran onto the court cheering and hugging each other. Yung described the moment she clinched the championship as “overwhelming and unbelievable.”

Pollard said winning the conference championship represents the team’s triumph over the various adversities the team has faced this season.

“We lost a great player (Marine Piriou), and Kokx and Roemer have battled injuries,” Pollard said. “We’ve had to ask some players to step into roles that they aren’t that comfortable with.”

In addition, the Cats’ success in the tournament was largely due to their strong doubles play –surprising for a team that went 5-5 in doubles points in the regular season. NU defeated Michigan 4-0 on Friday, and Illinois 4-2 on Saturday in the first two rounds of the tournament.

“I want these kids to really enjoy the moment,” Pollard said.