GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado wrestling rallied to tie the score from a 16-point deficit Saturday night at Paul Wright Gym but visiting and 15th-ranked Chadron State College scored decisions in the final two matches to steal a 22-16 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win over the Mountaineers.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Chadron State def. Western, 22-16
Records: Western 9-4 overall (4-1 RMAC), Chadron State 6-1 (4-0)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A pin at 125 pounds, a Western forfeit at 133, and a major decision at 141 provided the Eagles with what they thought might be an insurmountable 16-0 lead.
• That would be incorrect as Dean Noble's 15-10 decision at 149 ignited a five-match win streak that would eventually tie the team score at 16-16.
• Following Noble's high-scoring victory, teammate Ryan Wilson worked through a low-scoring bout – scoreless after the first period – getting the only takedown in the match during the second period in what would be a 5-1 decision at 157.
• Knowing he needed to keep the momentum rolling, Walker Heckendorf at 165 responded with a 9-3 decision, that had also been scoreless entering the second period.
• The match-up at 174 pitted No. 3-ranked Cole Hernandez for the Mountaineers with 12th-ranked Logan Berger for the Eagles. Berger would even the match at 8-8 with an early escape in the third, but Hernandez registered a takedown soon after, would receive a penalty point later, and the earned ride point gave him a 13-9 decision.
• Still behind by a count of 16-12, it was up to Cole Gray at 184 to continue the climb, and he responded with an 11-3 major behind a takedown in each period, pulling Western all the way back from its 16-point deficit to square the match at 16-16.
• Chadron State halted the rally at 197, though, with a 9-4 decision, then iced the hard-fought victory with a 4-0 decision at 285.

UP NEXT
Western continues RMAC action with its next match, Thursday, Feb. 1 in Las Vegas, N.M., against the host Cowboys of New Mexico Highlands University.