Sooners Top WVU
NORMAN, Okla. (January 18, 2015) – Despite taking four of ten bouts, the No. 23 West Virginia University wrestling team couldn’t come away with the win and fell to the Oklahoma Sooners, 25-13, in Big 12 action at McCasland Field House on Sunday afternoon.
The loss drops the Mountaineers to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in league action. Their lone remaining conference dual will take place February 7 when they host Iowa State at the WVU Coliseum.
“We won some matches we needed to, with (Zeke) Moisey beating Ryan Millhof for the first time in his career. It was a good win for him,” said coach Sammie Henson. “Mike (Morales) coming back to put that match into overtime and then win was big. Jake Smith and Bubba (Scheffel) stayed with the game plan, and it paid off.”
Zeke Moisey gave the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead by winning a 7-3 decision over Ryan Millhof in overtime at 125 pounds. Moisey registered the first takedown of the match, but Millhof countered with a reversal as the two ended the first period with the score knotted at 2-2. Moisey took a 3-2 lead on an escape early in the second before Millhof again tied things up with an escape of his own to start the third. Neither scored an offensive point in the first overtime, thought Moisey collected an escape. With Millhof starting down in the first tiebreaker period, Moisey put his back to the mat for a trio of nearfall points and would eventually win the bout.
Oklahoma’s No. 2-ranked Cody Brewer claimed a 17-5 major decision over Cory Stainbrook at 133 pounds to give the Sooners a 4-3 advantage. No. 11 Michael Morales then put West Virginia back on top, claiming a 9-7 decision at 141 over Trae Blackwell with a takedown in sudden victory. Blackwell scored a pair of takedowns and two nearfall points in the first period, while Morales was credited with an escape as he trailed 6-1 entering the second period. Morales added another escape and scored a takedown on Blackwell to cut the deficit to two at 6-4 entering the third. Blackwell started on the bottom, recording an escape to start the period before Morales took him down once again. Morales then rode him out to tie score with the riding time point, 6-6, at the end of regulation. Morales then registered another takedown for the win in sudden victory and putting WVU in front 6-4.
Oklahoma claimed the next four bouts to take a 21-6 advantage. Bubba Scheffel stop the skid with a 10-0 major decision over Brooks Climmons at 184. Scheffel recorded an early takedown and followed it with a pair of back points for a 4-0 lead after one period. He added another takedown in the second for a 6-0 advantage, then added an escape and another takedown in the third before tacking on the riding time point for the major decision, thought OU still lead 21-10.
Jake A. Smith followed that with a 6-0 decision win over Andrew Dixon at 197 pounds. Following a scoreless first period, Smith collected an escape and a takedown in the second for a 3-0 lead. He added another escape in the third in earning the win, putting the score at 21-13. The Sooners took a major decision in the heavyweight bout, winning the match 25-13.
“We have to weeks to train and work on some areas of concentration,” said Henson. “It is the little things that make the difference between winning and losing. We look forward to putting time into these areas.”
Oklahoma 25, No. 23 West Virginia 13
125: Zeke Moisey (WVU) dec. Ryan Millhof (OU), 7-3 (TB-1)
133: No. 2 Cody Brewer (OU) major dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU), 17-5
141: No. 11 Michael Morales (WVU) dec. Trae Blackweel (OU), 9-7 (SV-1)
149: Shayne Tucker (OU) pinned Louis Colonna (WVU), 5:46
157: No. 12 Justin DeAngelis (OU) major dec. Tim Wheeling (WVU), 12-3
165: Clark Glass (OU) dec. Ross Renzi (WVU), 2-0
174: Matt Reed (OU) major dec. Parker VonEgidy (WVU), 10-0
184: Bubba Scheffel (WVU) major dec. Brooks Climmons (OU), 10-0
197: Jake A. Smith (WVU) dec. Andrew Dixon (OU), 4-0
HWT: No. 11 Ross Larson (OU) major dec. A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU), 11-2
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