No. 19 Penn State Wrestlers dump No. 17 Indiana, 21-12
Nittany Lions post first Big Ten win of the season
State College, Pa., Jan. 28, 2005 – Facing their sixth straight ranked opponent and 12th of the season, the No. 19 Penn State wrestling team looked energized and confident in a 21-12 defeat of No. 17 Indiana Friday night in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions, returning home after and eighth place finish and five tough matches at the NWCA National Duals, won six of 10 bouts on the night to post their first Big Ten Conference win of the season and maintain a perfect 11-0 mark all-time against the Hoosiers. Penn State improved to 7-7 (1-2 in the Big Ten) with the win while Indiana fell to 12-2 (1-1). The Nittany Lions return to Rec Hall on Sunday for a 1:00 p.m. match with Purdue.
Indiana struck the first blow with a 10-6 win by No. 5 Joe Dubuque over No. 16 Adam Smith at 125. The pair battled close through the first two periods and Dubuque took a 4-3 lead into the third. But, after a Smith escape to start the third period, the Hoosier took him down and turned him to open up the match.
Freshman Bryan Heller took the mat at 133 for Penn State and sparked a four-match run for the Nittany Lions. Heller, who gained his first ranking at No. 20 this week, was solid in the top position as he dominated the action in posting a 5-1 win over Brian Dyer for his seventh dual meet win of the season. Junior DeWitt Driscoll followed with an explosive performance in upsetting No. 15 Mike Simpson at 141. Driscoll, ranked No. 20, dominated Simpson from the top position in the second period as the Hoosier took down. Driscoll turned him for a two-point near-fall and rode out the period. He then took advantage of a tired Simpson in the third as he reversed him from the down position and then turned him again for a three-point near-fall. Driscoll eventually claimed a 12-2 major decision with 4:04 in riding time advantage to improve to 23-11 on the year.
The roll continued at 149 as true-freshman Jack Decker got his second career dual meet win with a dominating 9-0 major decision over Issac Knable. Decker scored an opening period takedown, posted an escape, takedown and a penalty point in the second and reversed Knable from the down position in the third for the win with 3:16 in riding time advantage.
Sophomore Nate Galloway added another win over a ranked opponent to his record at 157 as the No. 13 ranked Nittany Lion downed No. 15 Brandon Becker 2-1. Galloway scored the lone takedown in the match after a Becker escape from the down position in the second period. The victory gave Penn State a 14-3 advantage.
Indiana stemmed the tide at 165 when Max Dean downed senior Jarrad Turner 8-5. The Hoosiers followed with a 5-3 win by Brady Richardson over James Yonushonis at 174 that closed the margin to 14-9 in Penn State’s favor.
A workmanlike 3-2 win by No. 6 Eric Bradley over Andy Rios at 184 edged the lead to 17-9. Bradley posted the opening takedown seven seconds into the match and then the two traded escapes the rest of the way.
At 197, freshman Phil Davis continued his impressive roll posting his sixth straight win to improve to 26-4 on the year and 7-1 in dual meet action. Davis posted the opening takedown against Indiana’s Josh Buuck in the first period, but, after a Buuck escape, he was taken down himself. Davis then reversed Buuck and appeared to have him turned to his back for several seconds but was awarded no points as Buuck broke the hold and nearly ended up on top of Davis as the period ended. Buuck took down in the second and Davis took control. The Nittany Lion locked up a cradle and turned the Hoosier for a three-point near-fall. Buuck eventually escaped but Davis took him down again before the end of the period. Davis escaped in the third from the down position and added a takedown for a 12-4 major decision and a 21-9 Penn State lead.
At heavyweight, newly christened Nittany Lion heavyweight Joel Edwards took the mat for his third match since moving up from 197 pounds in the wake of an injury to senior Josh Walker. Walker, who is suffering from a herniated disc, was cleared to return to practice just before the match after missing the last three weeks. Edwards, weighing in at 214, gave up 15 pounds to No. 8 Pat DeGain, a former 197-pounder himself. DeGain used his size in the opening moments locking Edwards around the chest and throwing him to the mat for a five-point move. Edwards escaped and kept things close after that but a DeGain escape from the bottom and takedown in the third iced an 8-3 win for the Hoosier and sealed the final at 21-12 in Penn State’s favor.
#19 Penn State 21, #17 Indiana 12
IU PS
125 #5 Joe Dubuque dec. #16 Adam Smith (PS), 10-6 3 0
133 #20 Bryan Heller (PS) dec. Brian Dyer (IU), 5-1 3 3
141 #20 DeWitt Driscoll (PS) Maj. Dec. #15 Mike Simpson (IU), 12-2 3 7
149 Jack Decker (PS) Maj. Dec. Issac Knable (IU), 9-0 3 11
157 #13 Nate Galloway (PS) dec. #15 Brandon Becker (IU), 2-1 3 14
165 Max Dean (IU) dec. Jarrad Turner (PS), 8-5 6 14
174 Brady Richardson (IU) dec. James Yonushonis (PS), 5-3 9 14
184 #6 Eric Bradley (PS) dec. Andy Rios (IU), 3-2 9 17
197 Phil Davis (PS) Maj. Dec. Josh Buuck (IU), 12-4 9 21
Hwt. #8 Pat DeGain (IU) dec. Joel Edwards (PS), 8-3 12 21
Penn State: 7-7; 1-2 Big Ten Indiana: 12-2; 1-1 Big Ten
Attendance: 1,913
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