No. 24 WVU Drops Match to No. 9 OU
MORGANTOWN. W. Va. (January 17, 2016) – Despite a pair of major decisions, the No. 24 West Virginia University wrestling team couldn’t overcome an early deficit and dropped a 23-11 match to the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners in Big 12 action on Sunday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.
The match served as part of Beauty and the Beast in conjunction with the WVU gymnastics team, bringing in a crowd of 2,390. The Mountaineers defeated New Hampshire, 195.800-195.225.
“It was a great event,” said WVU coach Sammie Henson. “I thought it went well, the fan participation. We’re excited to always compete in front of the Mountaineer family. Hopefully, we do a better job there.”
“We definitely wrestled hard. Everybody wrestled hard, I felt, and competed the whole time. It’s hard to make up ground in a day,” he said.
After dropping the first four bouts to trail 14-0, No. 12/13 Dylan Cottrell put the Mountaineers on the board with a major decision over Brock Wingbermuehle at 157 pounds. Cottrell struck first with a takedown, but Wingbermuehle scored a reversal to tie things up at two-all to close the first period. Wingbermuehle started on top in the second, riding Cottrell for the period. He chose top to start the third, with Cottrell reversing him midway through. Cottrell scored four near fall points, then added four more to take a 12-2 lead. Wingbermuehle took the point for riding time, but Cottrell came away with the 12-3 victory.
The Mountaineers suffered setbacks at 165 and 174 pounds, trailing 20-4 entering the 184-pound bout. Bubba Scheffel squared off with Lance Dixon, neither one registering a score in the first period of action. Choosing to start in the defensive position, Scheffel used a reversal to get on the board and lead 2-0 after the second. He was able to carry his momentum into the final period, as Dixon chose neutral and Scheffel scored a takedown. He capped the bout with the point for riding time, taking a 5-0 decision as WVU cut into the deficit with the score at 20-7.
No. 7 Jacob A. Smith came through with his second Big 12 win of the weekend, earning a major decision over Brad Johnson. Smith scored early and often in the first, using a pair of takedowns and four back points for an 8-1 lead. He escaped in the second to add to his lead, though Johnson was awarded a penalty point. Johnson registered a takedown of his own in the third, but Smith was able to escape and return the favor, adding riding time for the 13-4 major.
West Virginia travels to Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday. The Mountaineers will take on Arizona State at 1 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Arena before facing Stanford in a 3 p.m. ET neutral site match.
No. 9 Oklahoma 23, No. 24 West Virginia 11
125: No. 14/15 Ryan Millhof (OU) dec. Zeke Moisey (WVU), 2-1
133: No. 3/4 Cody Brewer (OU) major dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU), 13-3
141: Trae Blackwell (OU) dec. Tony DeAngelo (WVU), 7-4
149: Davion Jeffries (OU) major dec. Zachary Moore (WVU), 1-11
157: No. 12/13 Dylan Cottrell (WVU) major dec. Brock Wingbermuehle (OU), 12-3
165: No. 9 Clark Glass (OU) dec. Connor Flynn (WVU), 4-0
174: Matt Reed (OU) dec. Ross Renzi (WVU), 4-0
184: Bubba Scheffel (WVU) dec. Lance Dixon (OU), 5-0
197: No. 7 Jacob A. Smith (WVU) major dec. Brad Johnson (OU), 13-4
HWT: No. 14 Ross Larson (OU) dec. A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU), 7-1
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