"We've had an up and down early part of the season, and I'm happy for the guys," head coach Roger Chandler said. "They can go into Christmas break on a high note, and we talked about that. With a young team, sometimes it's difficult to get everybody on the same page at one time, but by and large I felt that the team stuck together tonight and fought in every single match."
Freshman Rayvon Foley started off the match strong for MSU at 125 pounds with his second dual match win of the year. Down 5-1 going into the third period, Foley came back to tie the match 6-6 and force overtime. In sudden victory, Foley recorded a takedown to earn an 8-6 decision.
"That's the type of pace that we expect out of our wrestlers, to stay in the match the entire time and his mindset," Chandler said. "There's no doubt that he's a leader at such a young age within our program because that's how we want all of our guys to wrestle."
At 141 pounds, redshirt senior Javier Gasca returned to the lineup for his first dual of the year, making a statement with a major decision, 10-1.
"Getting Javier Gasca back to himself, watching him getting back to how he attacks and what we expect out of him, what he expects out of himself was great," Chandler said. "Javier is a kid who wants to put points on the board and who is an offensive wrestler. He got back to that tonight and it was good to see. There's no doubt that helped drive the confidence into the rest of the guys."
Redshirt freshman Jake Tucker won the first dual match of his career at 157 pounds, winning by a major decision, 13-4.
"In order for us to win this dual it came down to most match points combined in all the matches, and we won 63-58. That's what the criteria was, and I think part of that was Jake Tucker and his major decision and Javier (Gasca), because you need to go after bonus points for the team because it affects the team score. That says a lot about (Tucker)," Chandler said. "There's a lot of pressure going out there as a freshman, and trying to figure out all the nerves. That was a big step forward for Jake, because out there in that setting, to be able to come out on top with a major decision, that says a lot about where he's going from there from a maturity standpoint."
Redshirt sophomore Logan Ritchie won by decision at 165 pounds, 10-5 and sophomore Drew Hughes took a 4-3 decision to put the score at 17-17, and the tiebreaker was in favor of the Spartans as match points were 63-58.
"We knew Buffalo was going to be a very hard-nosed team, and we knew we were going to be in a battle in every single match," Chandler said. "The thing that I was most pleased about was our young guys like Christian Rebottaro, Nick May and even Rayvon Foley. They were losing in matches, but they didn't give up bonus points and they kept competing until the very end. When you see guys competing until the end, even when they're behind, you can work with that and you can see the progress that these guys are making."
Up next, the Spartans will compete at the South Beach Duals in Deerfield Beach, Florida, from Dec. 29-30.
Bout-By-Bout
125: Rayvon Foley (MSU) dec. Kyle Akins (UB), 8-6
After a slow start, Akins put points on the board first with a takedown. Foley secured an escape, but Akins added another takedown to finish the first period with a 4-1 lead. In the second, Foley gained the riding time advantage but did not add to the score while Akins tallied an escape to take a 5-1 lead into the third period. Foley battled in the third, recording a reversal to cut the lead to 5-3. Akins got another escape, but Foley earned a last-minute takedown to tie the match at 6-all and force overtime. Foley notched a takedown for an 8-6 sudden victory decision.
No. 16 Bryan Lantry (UB) major dec. Nathan Ellis (MSU), 16-6
In the first period, it was a battle for control between Ellis and Lantry and the two ended scoreless. In the second period, Lantry jumped out to a 5-1 lead. In the third, Lantry didn't let up, tallying a series of takedowns from which Ellis escaped, but could not come back from. Lantry took the riding time advantage point to earn a 16-6 major decision.
141: No. 18 Javier Gasca (MSU) major dec. Blake Retell (UB), 10-1
Gasca scored five unanswered points until midway through the second period when Retell earned an escape to cut the lead 5-1. Gasca continued to tack on to his lead, adding four more points and securing the riding time point to win by major decision, 10-1.
149: Jason Esteves (UB) dec. Jwan Britton (MSU), 4-3
After a scoreless first period, the matchup proved to be low-scoring with Esteves taking a 1-0 lead from an escape in the second period. Britton took a 2-1 lead with a reversal in the third period, but Esteves got back on top from an escape and a takedown, 4-2. Britton added a late escape to cut the lead to 4-3, but it wasn't enough and Esteves took the decision.
157: Jake Tucker (MSU) major dec. Kobe Garrehy (UB), 13-4
Tucker came out hot with a quick takedown in the first period, and commanded for the remainder of not just the frame but the bout, collecting a takedown, reversal and near-fall and allowing Garrehy only two escapes to finish the first 8-2. In the second period, both Tucker and Garrehy recorded reversals, with Tucker still in the lead, 10-4. Tucker added another three points with a reversal and riding time advantage to pull off a 13-4 major decision.
165: Logan Ritchie (MSU) dec. Derek Holcomb (UB), 10-5
Ritchie started off with two takedowns and Holcomb escaped on both occasions, ending the first with Ritchie in the lead, 4-2. Ritchie added three more points in the second off a takedown and escape, and Holcomb recorded an escape of his own to end at 7-3. Holcomb started the third with an escape, but Ritchie added another two points with a takedown. Holcomb escaped again, but Ritchie held the riding time advantage and took the decision, 10-5.
174: No. 18 Drew Hughes (MSU) dec. Ryan Kromer (UB), 4-3
Scoreless through the first period, Hughes got on the board first with a takedown to finish the second period up 2-0. In the third, things got interesting between the two, and Kromer was awarded a penalty point due to stalling by Hughes. Kromer took a 3-2 lead from a reversal. Hughes had the riding time advantage, and at the very end of the match, Kromer was penalized for locking hands to give Hughes a 4-3 decision.
184: Brett Perry (UB) dec. Shwan Shadaia (MSU), 5-3
In the first period, Shadaia took a 2-1 lead off a takedown though Perry earned an escape point. In the second, Perry took a 4-2 lead from an escape and takedown. Shadaia cut the lead to 4-3 with an escape, but Perry was awarded a penalty point and won by decision, 5-3.
197: Joe Ariola (UB) dec. Nick May, 6-2
Ariola took a two-point lead from a takedown in the first, but May answered with an escape, 2-1. May evened up the score at 2-2 with an escape to start off the second period, but Ariola recorded an escape and takedown, finishing with a 6-2 decision including riding time.
No. 20 Jake Gunning (UB) dec. Christian Rebottaro, 8-4
Gunning commanded the first period, tallying a takedown and four points from a near-fall for an early 6-0 lead. In the second period, Rebottaro fought back with an escape and was awarded a penalty point for hand-to-face contact, cutting the lead to 6-2. Gunning earned an escape in the third, and Rebottaro added two points on a reversal, but Gunning finished with an 8-4 decision with riding time.
Results:
125: Rayvon Foley (MSU) dec. Kyle Akins (UB), 8-6; MSU leads, 3-0
133: No. 16 Bryan Lantry (UB) major dec. Nathan Ellis (MSU), 16-6; UB leads, 4-3
141: No. 18 Javier Gasca (MSU) major dec. Blake Retell (UB), 10-1; MSU leads, 7-4
149: Jason Estevez (UB) dec. Jwan Britton (MSU), 4-3; Tie, 7-7
157: Jake Tucker (MSU) major dec. Kobe Garrehy (UB), 13-4; MSU leads, 11-7
165: Logan Ritchie (MSU) dec. Derek Holcomb (UB), 10-5; MSU leads, 14-7
174: No. 18 Drew Hughes (MSU) dec. Ryan Kromer (UB), 4-3; MSU leads, 17-7
Point awarded to UB for MSU bench penalty. MSU leads, 17-8
184: Brett Perry (UB) dec. Shwan Shadaia (MSU), 5-3; MSU leads, 17-11
197: Joe Ariola (UB) dec. Nick May (MSU), 6-2; MSU leads, 17-14
285: No. 20 Jake Gunning (UB) dec. Christian Rebottaro (MSU), 8-4; Tie, 17-17
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