University of Nebraska Sports Information
LINCOLN — Jordan Burroughs and Vince Jones notched major decisions against No. 15 Oklahoma State to help the fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team claim a historic 17-16 dual victory over the Cowboys in front of more than 2,800 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Thursday. The win was NU’s first home victory over OSU since the 1921-22 season, and gave the Huskers back-to-back dual wins over the Cowboys for the first time ever. Nebraska improved to 14-2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma State dropped to 12-6 and 0-3 in the conference.
The contest came down to bonus points, as each team claimed five bouts on the night, and Burroughs and Jones, both natives of Sicklerville, N.J., scraped NU by with their two wins. In one of three matches featuring two wrestlers ranked in the top 10, third-ranked Burroughs used 10 takedowns, including four in the final period, to post a 21-9 major decision over No. 10 Neil Erisman of OSU at 157 pounds. The win was the junior’s seventh of the year against top-10 opponents, and kept his perfect season alive at 24-0 and 15-0 in duals.
Jones, ranked 11th in the nation at 184 pounds, used two takedowns in the first two periods to amass an early lead, but posted a six-point third period to earn an 11-2 major decision over Oklahoma State’s Cody Hill. Jones posted a takedown with a minute left and quickly cut Hill, looking for the bonus-point win. Hill put up a fight, but Jones scored his final takedown with two seconds left for the nine-point margin. The senior now has a team-leading 25 wins on the season with his 25-6 overall mark, and is 11-4 in duals.
The dual started at 133 pounds, with Oklahoma State picking up decisions at the first two weights. Senior Rob Sanders got NU on the board with a 6-3 decision over Luke Ashmore at 149 pounds. Sanders surrendered an early takedown, but rebounded with a takedown of his own in the first period and escaped easily in the second frame. Ashmore earned an escape in the third period to pull within one, but Sanders sealed the match with a takedown with seven seconds left.
Burroughs posted his major decision to give NU their first lead of the night, as junior Stephen Dwyer and senior Brandon Browne followed with decisions. No. 10 Brandon Mason held sixth-ranked Dwyer scoreless in the first period, but Dwyer earned a reversal 32 seconds into the second period and rode Mason out in the third for a 3-1 victory at 165.
On a night when Browne was honored as a Hometown Husker, the Plattsmouth-native did not disappoint. The senior posted three takedowns against No. 14 Newly McSpadden at 174, before the Cowboy claimed a late takedown to lose 7-5. Browne’s 15-2 dual mark ties him for the team lead with Burroughs.
Jones’ major decision at 184 put NU up 17-6, but No. 8 Clayton Foster upset second-ranked Craig Brester at 197 with a 5-2 decision and No. 3 Jared Rosholt posted a 2-0 decision over NU’s Tucker Lane at heavyweight to pull the Cowboys within five at 17-12. OSU’s Obe Blanc needed a technical fall to tie the match or a pin to win, but NU’s Andy Pokorny held him to a 12-3 major decision at 125 to give the Huskers the victory.
Nebraska continues its conference schedule with a 2 p.m. dual against No. 14 Oklahoma at McCasland Field House in Norman on Sunday.
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