With the win, the Panthers improve to 4-1 on the year, while the Dragons move to 2-2 overall.
"We saw a lot of good wrestling out of our guys today," said head coach Keith Gavin. "I think in some weight classes we needed to do a better job of building our lead and finishing the match strong. But, overall, we continue to make progress and that was nice to see."
The last time Pitt shutout an opponent was Jan. 13, 2019 when the Panthers defeated South Dakota State, 34-0, in Brookings.
Redshirt sophomore Nino Bonaccorsi recorded his fourth major decision of the year at 184 pounds to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead in the dual. Bonaccorsi scored seven takedowns, an escape, penalty point and riding time to defeat Owen Brooks, 17-5. The double-digit win was his seventh of the year.
At 197 pounds, redshirt senior Kellan Stout returned to the win column after earning a 6-1 decision over Drexel's Bryan McLaughlin. After a scoreless first period, Stout began the second on top and would remain there for the entire frame. Working with two minutes of riding time, Stout escaped off bottom to start the third and scored a takedown for a 3-0 lead. McLaughlin escaped but it wouldn't be enough as Stout then took him down and added his final point with riding time.
Moving to heavyweight, senior Demetrius Thomas improved to 7-2 on the year after defeating Sean O'Malley in an 11-3 major decision. Thomas scored three takedowns in the first period to lead 6-2 and added five more points via penalty point, escape, takedown and riding time en route to the major decision. Thomas' win gave the Panthers an 11-0 lead through the first three bouts.
At 125 pounds, sophomore Louis Newell recorded his second win this week after defeating Antonio Mininno in a 10-5 decision. Newell scored four takedowns, an escape and riding time for his fourth win of the year.
Redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi continued his winning ways at 133 pounds, recording a 12-3 major decision over Chandler Olson. The fifth-ranked wrestler led 5-0 entering the third frame, and scored three takedowns and added a final point with riding time to secure the major decision. Phillippi's win boosted Pitt to an 18-0 lead.
Redshirt freshman Cole Matthews picked up his sixth win of the season after defeating Julian Flores in a 2-0 decision at 141 pounds. Matthews used an escape and riding time to outlast his Drexel opponent.
At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Luke Kemerer also recorded his second win this week after outlasting Jared Donahue, 4-2. Kemerer struck first, but Donahue escape would give him a 2-1 lead after the first period. He started the second on bottom and Donahue escaped to tie it 2-2, however a penalty point would give Kemerer the lead again. Kemerer started the third on bottom and escaped to secure the win, 4-2.
At 157 pounds, freshman Anthony Colello made his collegiate dual debut and recorded an 8-4 win over Felix Belga. Colello trailed through the first two periods, 4-2, but battled back in the third. Starting the final frame on bottom, Colello escaped and scored a takedown to take the lead, 5-4. Belga then received back-to-back stall warnings and added his final point with riding time. His win gave the Panthers a 27-0 lead.
165 pounds featured a top-20 ranked match in 11th-ranked Jake Wentzel and No. 16 Ebed Jarrell. Wentzel, a redshirt junior, fell behind in the first period, 4-2, but quickly took the lead after a reversal and four nearfall to end the first. Wentzel held on to his lead and added an escape in the third for the win. His victory gave Pitt a 30-0 lead entering the final bout.
Redshirt junior Gregg Harvey was the final Panther to wrestle and completed the shutout with a 6-2 win over Michael O'Malley at 174 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Harvey jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second. He extended his lead in the third with a takedown and final point with riding time.
The Panthers continue their road stretch Friday, Dec. 20 at Maryland at 7 p.m.
Results:
184: #8 Nino Bonaccorsi (UP) maj. dec. Owen Brooks (DU), 17-5 – Pitt leads 4-0
197: Kellan Stout (UP) dec. Bryan McLaughlin (DU), 6-1 – Pitt leads 7-0
285: #9 Demetrius Thomas (UP) maj. dec. Sean O'Malley (DU), 11-3 – Pitt leads 11-0
125: Louis Newell (UP) dec. Antonio Mininno (DU), 10-5 – Pitt leads 14-0
133: #5 Micky Phillippi (UP) maj. dec. Chandler Olson (DU), 12-3 – Pitt leads 18-0
141: #19 Cole Matthews (UP) dec. Julian Flores (DU), 2-0 – Pitt leads 21-0
149: Luke Kemerer (UP) dec. Jared Donahue (DU), 4-2 – Pitt leads 24-0
157: Anthony Colello (UP) dec. Felix Belga (DU), 8-4 – Pitt leads 27-0
165: #11 Jake Wentzel (UP) dec. #16 Ebed Jarrell (DU), 9-5 – Pitt leads 30-0
174: Gregg Harvey (UP) dec. Michael O'Malley (DU), 6-2 – Pitt wins 33-0
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