The Rams (5-5) built an early 15-0 lead through three matches, but then saw Simpson (2-3) storm back and cut the margin to 18-12 going into the 197-pound bout.
Abegesah quickly turned momentum in favor of the Rams, notching 11 first-period points en route to a 22-6 technical fall in 5:22 over Ethan Calvert. Abegesah (5-7) recorded four 3-point near falls and four takedowns to seal the team win for Cornell, which has now won 11 straight duals against the Storm.
Cornell heavyweight Eric Tucker (JR/Monroe, Conn.) put the finishing touches on the victory, recording a takedown with 12 seconds remaining to beat Colby Vlieger, 3-1. Tucker (9-5) improved his December record to 6-0.
The Rams picked up six individual wins, including a forfeit handed to 125-pounder Scott Smith (JR/Chicago, Ill.) (6-10) to start the night. Sophomore Phillip Opelt (SO/Neillsville, Wis.), ranked fifth at 133, gave Cornell six more points with a second-period pin in 3:27 over Devan Berrian. Opelt took over the team lead for wins at 10-5.
Sophomore Nathan Shank (SO/Iowa City, Iowa) (3-6) posted three takedowns in his 8-5 decision over Dalton Kenig at 141, stretching Cornell's margin to 15-0.
The Storm strung together three tight wins to cut the deficit to 15-9. Ram freshman 149-pounder Josh Martin (FR/Lombard, Ill.) led Jonathan Melton most of the way in a 6-5 loss that was decided by riding time. Cornell's Aaron Engle (SO/Kansas City, Mo.) fell 7-5 to Jake Mize, who scored a takedown with one second left in the first overtime period. Simpson's Brian Haynes then edged Michael Maksimovic (SO/Northbrook, Ill.), 3-1, at 165.
Senior 10th-ranked Brent Hamm (SR/Iowa City, Iowa) (7-6) got the Rams back on track with a 5-2 decision over Brett Roberts at 174. The Storm countered with a 7-4 win at 184 from Spencer Ward over James Garrett (SO/Fountain, Colo.), closing the gap to 18-12.
The Rams held a 14-10 advantage in total takedowns. Cornell finished with 12 near-fall points – all from Abegesah – to Simpson's three.
Coming up – The Rams get a break from competition until the Citrus Invitational Dec. 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The 12-team individual tournament includes No. 9 Mount Union, No. 11 Augsburg, No. 12 Cornell, Case, John Carroll, Liberty, Williams, Western New England, Ursinus, SUNY-Oneonta, Florida Gulf Coast and Knox.
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