Ngati’s Pin Leads WVU to First Big 12 Win
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Feb. 12, 2017) – Freshman heavyweight Brandon Ngati pinned Joe Scanlan in the final bout of the day as the West Virginia University wrestling team claimed a thrilling comeback win over Iowa State, 22-20, for the first Big 12 win in program history on Sunday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.
Trailing 20-9 after seven bouts, the Mountaineers won three straight, including a pair of bonus-point victories, to secure the win. West Virginia (3-11, 1-3) won five of 10 bouts overall with a pair of pins and a major decision in taking the victory over the Cyclones (1-10, 1-6).
“I just want to see them win,” WVU coach Sammie Henson said. “I just want to see them be successful. I want to see them do the things I know they’re capable of doing. With Big Jake (Smith) and Dylan Cottrell – his leadership today … to come out here and wrestle the way that he did and step up for our team. (Christian) Monserrat finally got a quality win. He’s been on the opposite sides of those matches where it was close and we’ve lost several really close matches. To see that change, I just think it was a team effort. A total team effort today. I’m elated. It’s been a long year. We were just trying to get a win for (Brandon) Ngati. My man got it down for us.”
The Cyclones won the first three matches of the day for a 9-0 lead heading into the 149-pound bout, where Christian Monserrat squared off with Gabe Moreno. Moreno scored first with a first-period takedown, but Monserrat added a pair of takedowns and an escape in the second for a 5-3 lead heading into the third. Called twice for stalling in the final stanza to give Moreno a point, Monserrat added a pair of takedowns in securing the 9-6 decision to put WVU on the board, down 9-3.
Iowa State won by fall at 157 for a 15-3 lead, but No. 13/20 Dylan Cottrell countered with a win by fall at 165 pounds. Cottrell used an early takedown and a pair of nearfall points for a 4-0 lead over Logan Breitenbach in the first period. Starting in the defensive position in the second, Cottrell escaped to pad his lead at 5-0. He then used a takedown and got the turn for the pin with 17 seconds remaining in the second period as WVU cut the ISU lead to six at 15-9.
ISU won by tech. fall at 174 for a 20-9 advantage with three matches to go. At 184, Parker VonEgidy used a reversal of Carson Powell late in the third period to tie the score, 3-3, at the end of regulation. He then struck with the takedown in sudden victory to win the 5-3 decision and bring the Mountaineers within eight, down 20-12.
No. 5-ranked Jacob A. Smith added four more to the board with a major decision over Marcus Harrington at 197 pounds. Smith used three takedowns and four nearfall points on his way to the 12-0 win, his tenth straight of the season.
With the Mountaineers trailing 20-16, Ngati entered the heavyweight bout needed a tech. fall or pin of Scanlan to win. After a scoreless first period, Scanlan started on bottom and escape for a 1-0 lead. With 35 seconds remaining in the second period, Ngati threw Scanlan to the mat and go the pin soon after to complete the comeback and give West Virginia the 22-20 victory.
West Virginia 22 Iowa State 20
125: Kyle Larson (ISU) dec. Devin Brown (WVU), 4-2
133: No. 11 Earl Hall, Jr. (ISU) dec. Cory Stainbrook (WVU), 2-1
141: John Meeks (ISU) dec. Joe Wheeling (WVU), 16-9
149: Christian Monserrat (WVU) dec. Gabe Moreno (WVU), 9-6
157: Colston DiBlasi (ISU) pinned Dayton Garrett (WVU), 1:04
165: Dylan Cottrell (WVU) pinned Logan Breitenbach (ISU), 4:43
174: No. 10 Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU) tech. fall Ty Millward (WVU), 19-4 (5:54)
184: Parker VonEgidy (WVU) dec. Carson Powell (ISU), 5-3 SV-1
197: Jacob A. Smith (WVU) major dec. Marcus Harrington (ISU), 12-0
HWT: Brandon Ngati (WVU) pinned Joe Scanlan (ISU), 4:28
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