ALAMOSA, Colo. The Mountaineers dug themselves out of a double-digit deficit to tie the match with two bouts to go, but host Adams State then clawed out a pair of wins to earn a 23-16 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wrestling victory over visiting Western Colorado Thursday night.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Adams State def. Western, 23-16
Records: Western 10-5 overall (5-2 RMAC), Adams State 6-4 (4-3)
Location: Plachy Hall, Alamosa, Colo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With a known forfeit at 133 pounds, Western knew that getting off to a good start would be advantageous in the match.
- That plan was foiled by the Grizzlies who opened with a narrow 4-3 decision at 125 then added a 21-7 major decision at 141 to put the Mountaineers in a 13-0 hole.
- That deficit was nearly halved in a little more than half a minute, though, as Dean Noble quickly turned a takedown into a fall at the 41-second mark of the opening period of the 149-pound match.
- Ryan Wilson broke a scoreless tie after the first period at 157 with six points in the second, eventually finishing the match with a 7-0 shutout to bring the Mountaineers even closer on the scoreboard (13-9).
- Adams State evaded a sweep through the middle weight classes with a come-from-behind 9-6 decision at 164, but third-ranked Cole Hernandez flipped the momentum back Western's way with a 12-3 major at 174.
- Cole Gray found himself trailing 6-2 after the first period at 184, but Gray would notch a pair of takedowns in the second to enter the final period tied 8-8 with the Grizzlies' Sergio Zaragoza. It was all Gray in the third, though, as he started in the down position and produced a quick escape for a point, added a takedown later in the period and earned a riding time point for a 13-8 decision that tied the match score at 16-16.
- ASU's Ben Tonnessen, ranked 12th nationally at 197, turned the tide for Adams State, however, registering a 14-0 major to break the deadlock.
- A 4-1 decision for ASU at 285 clinched the match victory for the Grizzlies.
UP NEXT
Western closes out its duals schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 18 when it will be visited by Colorado Mesa University for a 6 p.m. RMAC match in Paul Wright Gym.