GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Trailing by 12 points after forfeiting the opening two weights, Western Colorado rallied to within a point with two matches remaining, but host Colorado Mesa scratched out a pair of decisions to fend off the Mountaineers' challenge, 24-17, Thursday night in non-conference wrestling action at Brownson Arena.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Colorado Mesa def. Western, 24-17
Records: Western 1-2, CMU 1-0
Location: Brownson Arena, Grand Junction, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mavericks were actually up 15-0 after winning the first contested bout of the night at 141 pounds.
• Dean Noble got Western up on the scoreboard in the next match, though. His reversal near the opening of the second period turned into a riding time point at the end as he earned a 4-2 decision to erase the zero on the team scoreboard.
• Mesa earned a decision in the next match at 157 to push back ahead by 15 points, but the Mountaineers began their rally at 165 with Walker Heckendorf's 8-6 decision. Trailing 6-3 entering the third period, Heckendorf started on the bottom but quickly earned an escape and an eventual takedown added riding time he'd accumulated in the opening period for the final point of an 8-6 decision.
• Cole Hernandez, ranked third in the country at 174, added to the momentum by rolling to a dominating 20-4 technical fall (5:54) that cut Western's deficit to 18-11.
• One of the most exciting matches of the night for the Mountaineers was produced at 184 with Cole Gray on the mat against the Mavs' Jason Bynarowicz. Late in the third period Bynarowicz owned a 5-3 lead, but in the last half minute Gray put Bynarowicz on his back and seconds later had a pin to end the match at 6:33 and bring Western nearly all the way back from that opening deficit, pulling to within a point at 18-17.
• Mesa's Gabriel Carranza picked up a 4-1 decision at 197, though, and Tyler Doyle added a 9-2 decision at 285 to halt the oncoming train that had been the mid-match rally from Western.

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers open up Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action Friday at Brownson Arena, taking on San Francisco State in a neutral-site match hosted by Mesa.