Jared Torrence
The Northern Illinois University wrestling team suffered a tough loss at home Saturday in Victor E. Court, as the Central Michigan Chippewas came away with a 25-6 win over the Huskies.
CMU (6-4, 2-0 MAC) built a big 22-point lead against NIU (3-5, 0-2 MAC). Caleb Busson and Jared Torrence were the bright spots for the Huskies, as both earned overtime wins.
“Caleb and Jared came out and wrestled well today,” said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. “They wrestled with a lot of fire and intensity. Those were great wins for both of them.”
Facing a stiff challenge in #10 Corey Keener, Braun Marquez gave his nationally-ranked foe all he could handle, trailing 2-1 after the first period and 4-3 after two for a chance for the upset. However, Keener notched a quick escape and a takedown in the third period en route to an 8-4 decision and an early 3-0 Chippewa lead.
CMU extended its lead to 6-0 when #11 Joe Roth scored an 18-15 win over Nick Smith in an exciting back-and-forth affair. At 141, Kevin Fanta and #10 Zach Horan battled through a scoreless first period, but an escape-takedown combo in the second period proved to be enough as Horan defeated Fanta, 3-1, and pushed the Chippewas to a 9-0 edge.
Michigander Gabe Morse tried to turn the tide at 149 and got out to an early 2-1 against CMU’s Zach Mattingly. However, the Chippewa tied the match late in the second period with a takedown, then scored the deciding points on an escape in the third period to give CMU a 4-3 decision and a 12-0 lead through four matches. Andrew Morse, Gabe’s twin brother, fared no better in a 5-0 loss to Lucas Smith at 157, putting NIU in a 15-0 hole at halftime.
Matt Mougin
Following the intermission, Shaun’Qae McMurtry looked to get the Huskies started on the comeback trail and forced a 4-4 tie after two periods against Nick Becker. Yet, Becker scored the decided points with a three-point nearfall in the third period, while the riding time bonus gave the Chippewa an 8-4 win at 165.
Matt Mougin, making his 2013-14 debut, couldn’t get anything going against #11 Mike Ottinger, as the redshirt senior suffered a 12-3 loss to allow CMU to clinch the dual victory.
The Huskies got their first victory of the day when Busson outlasted Craig Kelliher in overtime for a 3-2 win. Trailing 1-0 after two periods, Busson forced overtime with a third period escape. In overtime, Busson scored a reversal, then held off Kelliher’s attacks for the win.
In a microcosm of how the day had gone, Shawn Scott dropped a 3-2 loss to Jackson Lewis. With the match tied at 1-1 and with Scott holding the riding time advantage, Lewis snagged Scott and got a takedown with five seconds left to take the win.
Torrence finished the meet on a positive note for the Huskies by claiming a 4-1 overtime win over Adam Robinson. After keeping Robinson down in the first half of the overtime, NIU’s heavyweight scored the escape and removed all doubt with a takedown.
NIU caps off the 2013 calendar year Dec. 29-30 when they head to Evanston, Ill., for the 51st annual Midlands Championships. The tournament begins Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and continues through Monday evening.
Central Michigan 25, Northern Illinois 6
125: #10 Corey Keener (CMU) dec. Braun Marquez (NIU), 8-4
133: #11 Joe Roth (CMU) dec. Nick Smith (NIU), 18-15
141: #10 Zach Horan (CMU) dec. Kevin Fanta (NIU), 3-1
149: Zach Mattingly (CMU) dec. Gabe Morse (NIU), 4-3
157: Lucas Smith (CMU) dec. Andrew Morse (NIU), 5-0
165: Nick Becker (CMU) dec. Shaun’Qae McMurtry (NIU), 8-4
174: #11 Mike Ottinger (CMU) maj. dec. Matt Mougin (NIU), 12-3
184: Caleb Busson (NIU) dec. Craig Kelliher (CMU), 3-2 (OT)
197: Jackson Lewis (CMU) dec. Shawn Scott (NIU), 3-2
285: Jared Torrence (NIU) dec. Adam Robinson (CMU), 4-1 (OT)
For more information on NIU wrestling and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
