With the Fighting Illini (6-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) up 15-13 with just two matches remaining, No. 10 Isaac Jordan (157 lbs.) arguably put together the most complete match of the night by dominating No. 15 Zac Brunson. Jordan ran out to an 8-0 lead before Brunson committed a series of stalling penalties that eventually led to his disqualification.
Jordan was on top 11-0 and had riding time secured before Brunson was ruled out, giving Wisconsin (7-3, 1-0) six points and a four-point lead with just one match remaining.
Redshirt junior Ben Cox (165 lbs.) then held Matt Nora to a 4-1 decision win, giving Wisconsin its first win over a top-10 opponent and second win over a ranked team this season.
“It was a good win,” said assistant coach Kyle Ruschell. “The guys wrestled a lot tougher than last week and coming off a loss like that we really needed to change what we were doing intensity wise out there on the mat. The guys came out ready to go today.”
The Badgers and Fighting Illini went back-and-forth through the first four matches before No. 1 Jesse Delgado (125 lbs.) pinned No. 19 Ryan Taylor in 44 seconds. The loss was Taylor’s second of the year and it gave Illinois a 12-7 lead.
No. 5 Tyler Graff then won by decision, 10-4, over No. 13 Zane Richards in the second match featuring two ranked wrestlers. Graff was up 4-3 lead heading into the third period but recorded an escape and two takedowns to run away with his 14th win of the season.
Momentum shifted back in the Fighting Illini’s favor after Steven Rodrigues recorded a three-point near fall in the final seconds of the third period over Jesse Thielke at 141 lbs. Thielke dropped the match by decision, 5-2, and fell to 9-7 overall on the year.
Redshirt freshman TJ Ruschell then brought the Badgers right back into it with a 10-3 win over John Fahy to pull the Badgers within two before Jordan’s dominating performance.
Redshirt sophomore No. 6 Connor Medbery protected his perfect record by recording a major decision victory over Chris Lopez at Hwt. It was Mebery’s seventh match in which he won in bonus-point fashion and he improves to 15-0 on the season.
No. 15 Jackson Hein also continued his winning ways after narrowly escaping with a 3-2 victory over Nikko Reyes at 184 lbs. Reyes entered with a 10-1 record, but Hein sealed the victory with an escape with 1:44 remaining in the third period.
The Badgers continue Big Ten action on Sunday at Michigan State. The dual with the Spartans is set to begin at 1 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Results:
174 #16 Dallago (IL) dec. Liegel (UW), 6-4 3 0
184 #15 Hein (UW) dec. Reyes (IL), 3-2 3 3
197 #7 Gonzalez (IL) dec. McCall (UW), 8-6 6 3
Hwt. #6 Medbery (UW) maj. dec. Lopez (IL), 9-1 6 7
125 #1 Delgado (IL) fall #19 Taylor (UW), 0:44 12 7
133 #5 Graff (UW) dec. #13 Richards (IL), 10-4 12 10
141 Rodgrigues (IL) dec. Thielke (UW), 5-2 15 10
149 Ruschell (UW) dec. Fahy (IL), 10-3 15 13
157 #10 Jordan (UW) dis. #15 Brunson (IL) 15 19
165 Nora (IL) dec. Cox (UW), 4-1 18 19
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