MSU wrestling nipped by Northwestern Friday

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Michigan State wrestling was nipped by Northwestern, 23-21, Friday night at NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena, as the Spartans were overtaken late by the Wildcats after building a lead.

MSU led 21-10 with three bouts remaining before the Wildcats clawed back and captured the 23-21 win. It was the fourth meeting in the last five match-ups in the series to be decided by seven points or less, as last season, MSU won 19-15. Northwestern won, 18-15, in 2013 and 22-15 in 2011. The Spartans still hold a 27-21 series advantage.

Michigan State collected victories by redshirt freshman Logan Griffin (125), redshirt junior Javier Gasca (141), redshirt sophomore Austin Thompson (157), freshman Drew Hughes (165) and redshirt senior Drew Barnes (174), as the Spartans won three in a row to open a 21-10 lead, before the Wildcats took the last three bouts all in extra-point wins for the victory.

The wins by Gasca, Thompson and Hughes were all their 18th victories of the season, as they continue to share the team-lead in victories.

Griffin opened with an 11-7 decision over NU's Anthony Rubinetti, for his eighth win in his last 10 bouts, improving to 15-7 overall and 3-3 in duals.

Gasca posted an 11-3 major decision over Alexander McKenna for Gasca's third major decision victory of the season and his 11th extra-point win this year. He has now won six of last nine this season as part of winning 26 of the last 32 regular-season matches dating back to last season.

Thompson pinned NU's Ben Sullivan in 6:29 for his fourth fall of the season and 11th extra-point victory, having won eight of his last 12 bouts, moving to 18-9 overall and 4-4 in duals.

Hughes blanked Johnny Sebastian in an 11-0 major decision. It was Hughes' fifth shutout in his last six wins & in his last seven bouts overall as part of his eighth shutout this season.  Hughes has now won 13 of his last 14 matches, improving to 18-3 overall and 6-2 in duals.

Barnes has now won four of his last seven bouts, improving to 7-8 on the season and was his first dual win of the year, moving to 1-2.

With the loss, MSU is now 2-5 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten Conference competition. Friday was NU's first B1G win of the season and is now 6-3 overall and 1-2 in the B1G.

The Spartans have a quick turnaround, as they return home to host Maryland on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. at Jenison Field House. The Spartans will then host in-state foe Central Michigan on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at Jenison Field House as part of the annual “Tumbles and Takedowns” with the MSU gymnastics team.

Bout-By-Bout

125: Logan Griffin (MSU) dec. Anthony Rubinetti (NU), 10-7

Griffin got on the board first with a takedown and Rubinetti got a point with an escape before another Griffin takedown opened a 4-1 advantage. The Wildcat countered by scoring another escape before a near fall and a takedown to open a 6-4 lead after the first period. Griffin later tied it back up with a takedown in the early going of the second stanza. Rubinetti went ahead, 7-6, with an escape with just under a minute left and that remained the score to the end of the period. Griffin posted a four-point near fall for the 10-7 victory.

133: Jason Ipsarides (NU) fall Austin Eicher (MSU), 6:29

The wrestlers traded three escapes, with Eicher taking a 2-1 lead before the Spartans notched a takedown and a 4-1 advantage before Ipsarides later tallied an escape late in the first period and the score was 4-2 after one frame. Ipsarides had control in the opening moments of the second period before Eicher posted an escape to go up, 5-2. The Wildcat closed to 5-4 with a takedown with just over 30 seconds left in period two and the score would stay that way into the third stanza. An escape from Ipsarides in the early going of the final period squared the score at 5's, and the Wildcat later took a 7-5 lead before a near fall then finally pinning Eicher at 6:29.

141: No. 19 Javier Gasca (MSU) maj. dec. Alec McKenna (NU), 11-3

Gasca scored a takedown in the first minute of the opening period and the 2-0 score held through the rest of the frame. The Spartan opened the second period with a reversal for a 4-0 lead. McKenna posted an escape to get on the board at 4-1, but Gasca countered with a takedown and controlled action holding a 6-1 lead to the end of the second frame. Gasca yielded an escape to McKenna for a 6-2 lead, before the Spartan added another takedown but McKenna quickly escaped for an 8-3 score, but Gasca scored another takedown and a 10-3 lead. Gasca added a point for the riding time and an 11-3 major decision.

149: Shayne Oster (NU) maj. dec. Nick Trimble (MSU), 12-2

The Spartan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first minute. Oster cut the cap in half with an escape and later logged a takedown to take the lead, 3-2. A four-point near fall late in the first frame gave Oster a 7-2 lead entering period number two.  The Wildcats' lead grew to 8-2 with an Oster escape, but Trimble countered and controlled action but couldn't get any points the rest of the stanza and trailed Oster, 8-2 going into the final frame. Oster took a 10-2 advantage with a takedown at the midway mark of the third period and tacked on a two-point near fall and a 12-2 major decision.

157: Austin Thompson (MSU) fall Ben Sullivan (NU), 6:29

Thompson took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown that Sullivan later escaped to close to 2-1. After the early scoring, the bout remained 2-1 through the end of the first and into the early going of period two before Sullivan scored an escape to level the score at 2-2, and stayed that way into the final frame. The Spartan scored an escape then a two-point near fall for a 5-2 lead, before Thompson pinned Sullivan at 6:29.

165: Drew Hughes (MSU) maj. dec. Johnny Sebastian (NU), 11-0

The Spartans darted out to a 2-0 advantage with a quick takedown. In the final minute of the first frame, Hughes secured back-to-back four-point near falls for a 10-0 dominating lead after one period. The Spartan controlled the second period but no points were awarded leaving the score 10-0 heading into the final frame, which matched the second with no scoring before

174: Drew Barnes (MSU) maj. dec. Braxton Cody (NU), 14-3

For the fifth bout in a row on the night, the Spartans jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Barnes scored a takedown in the first minute of the opening period.  Barnes' 2-0 lead held through the remainder of the first frame and into the second, before Barnes erupted with a flurry of a takedown, then back-to-back near falls, first of the four-point variety then a two-pointer for a 10-0 advantage. Cody scored an escape to get on the board by the end of the second period as the score was 10-1 entering the final frame. Barnes squeezed in a takedown in between a pair of Cody escapes and a 12-3 lead, adding a point for the NU wrestler stalling and added the riding point for the 14-3 major decision.

184: Mitch Sliga (NU) maj. dec. Wesley Maskill (MSU), 11-2

Just like the previous five bouts, MSU took a 2-0 lead after a Maskill takedown. Sliga regained control and evened the bout at 2-all with a reversal. The score stayed tied at 2-2 through the end of the first frame and into the second, before Sliga scored another reversal then a two-point near fall and a 6-2 lead. The Wildcat opened the third period with another two-point near fall and a 10-2 lead, adding the riding point for Sliga's 11-2 major decision win.

197: Jacob Berkowitz (NU) maj. dec. Matt Okaiye (MSU), 11-2

Continuing with the pattern for the seventh bout in a row, the Spartans took an early 2-0 lead at Okaiye notched a takedown, before Berkowitz notched a pair of escapes to level the bout at 2-2 at the end of the first frame. Just 13 seconds into the second period, there was a video review and after the review, the officials awarded two points for a Berkowitz takedown and a 4-2 lead, which he held until the waning seconds of the period and scored a four-point near fall and an 8-2 advantage after two frames. The Northwestern wrestler scored a takedown in the first few seconds of the final period.

HWT: Conan Jennings (NU) tech. fall Jacob Cooper (MSU), 15-0, 4:29; NU wins, 23-21

For the first time in eight bouts, Northwestern scored a 2-0 lead as Jennings posted a takedown and added a four-point near fall and a 6-0 lead. Another four-point near fall gave Jennings a 10-0 advantage and that was the score after one period. The Wildcat added a point for Cooper stalling, then a takedown and a two-point near fall gave Cooper the 15-0 technical fall and ended the bout at 4:29 to give the home team the win and complete Northwestern's comeback.

- MSU Athletic Communications