NORMAN, Okla. – Two wrestlers scored bonus points and two beat ranked opponents, but it wasn't enough for No. 5 Mizzou Wrestling (5-2, 3-0 MAC) to defeat No. 18 Oklahoma (2-3, 1-1 Big 12) as the Sooners defeated the Tigers, 24-18, on Sunday afternoon at the McCasland Field House. The loss marked the first time Mizzou has lost to Oklahoma since Feb. 5, 2011, when the Sooners won, 18-12, in Norman.
The Tigers picked up four wins in the dual, led by redshirt sophomore 133-pounder John Erneste (Kansas City, Mo.) and redshirt freshman 174-pounder Dylan Wisman (Winchester, Va.), who each scored wins by fall. Earning wins over ranked opponents in the dual was redshirt senior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) and senior 197-pounder J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.).
Following a loss at 125 pounds, Erneste stepped onto the mat with the Tigers in a 3-0 hole to start the dual. The Tiger sophomore quickly swung the lead back in Mizzou's favor after a takedown and a turn to get Jacob Rubio's shoulders on the mat for the six-point fall. With the win, Erneste improves to 15-4 on the season and 2-0 in duals, with both dual victories coming by way of pins.
The dual was tied at 6-6 when Mayes took the mat against No. 12 Davion Jeffries. The fourth meeting between the two wrestlers was a nail biter just like the first three, as Mayes entered the third period with a 1-0 lead, but Jeffries held 1:23 of riding time. Starting the period in the top position, Mayes kept ahold of Jeffries long enough for riding time to no longer be a factor, but Jeffries escaped to tie the score at 1-1 and send the match to overtime. The Tiger senior finished him off in the first sudden victory overtime, executing a takedown to seal the victory, 3-1, and give Mizzou the lead, 9-6.
Oklahoma won the next two matches, the first by forfeit, and the second by decision at 165 pounds, to snag a 15-9 lead heading into the 174 pound bout. After a back-and-forth two minutes to start the first period, Wisman provided the second momentum shift of the match by getting Matt Reed to his back and scoring a fall right before the end of the first period buzzer. The win by fall – Wisman's second of his career and first in dual competition – tied the score at 15-15.
Mizzou trailed again, 18-15, heading into Cox's match against No. 18 Brad Johnson. Cox scored a takedown with near a minute left in the first period, but Johnson was able to escape shortly after. Cox started the second period in the top position and did not let Johnson escape, carrying over more than two minutes of riding time heading into the final period. Cox escaped to start the third period, and a riding time point following the completion of the match yielded the 4-1 outcome. With his sixth win over a ranked opponent this season, Cox remains a perfect 15-0 during the 2016-17 season and has now won 35 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Mizzou will hit the road for next three duals, beginning with a MAC dual at Buffalo on Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. (CT). After Buffalo, the Tigers will then face No. 8 Cornell on Jan. 14 and Eastern Michigan on Jan. 15.
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Match-by-Match Results
125: Christian Moody (OU) dec. No. 14 Barlow McGhee (MIZ): 6-4
133: John Erneste (MIZ) fall Jacob Rubio (OU): 2:32
141: Mike Longo (OU) dec. Zach Synon (MIZ): 2-1
149: Lavion Mayes (MIZ) SV-1 No. 12 Davion Jeffries (OU): 3-1
157: No. 16 DaWaylon Barnes (OU): win by forfeit
165: Yosane Mejias (OU) dec. Phyllip DeLoach (MIZ): 7-4
174: Dylan Wisman (MIZ) fall Matt Reed (OU): 2:59
184: Andrew Dixon (OU) dec. Matt Lemanowicz (MIZ): 6-0
197: No. 1 J'den Cox (MIZ) dec. No. 18 Brad Johnson: 4-1
HWT: No. 16 Ross Larson (OU) fall Austin Myers (MIZ): 5:59
