Bonus Points Influence Michigan's Defeat at MSU

Sunday, January 28

East Lansing, Mich.

Michigan

Michigan State

1/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- After opening the competition with three losses, the No.17-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team could not recover from the early deficit against No. 23 Michigan State and fell to the intrastate rival 21-17 on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 28) at Jenison Field House. The two teams split matches 5-5, but back-to-back Spartan falls at 133 and 141 pounds proved the deciding factor as the U-M rally fell short.

The final outcome came down to the heavyweight bout where senior/junior Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS) and Michigan State's Alan O'Donnell needed the round of tiebreakers to determine a match winner. Both wrestlers picked up their escape point during regulation and the score remained 1-1 at the end of the sudden-victory overtime. In the tiebreaker, O'Donnell picked up a quick escape in the first 30-second frame and held Maktabi to the mat for the entirety of the second to emerge the 2-1 victor.

Michigan State built up a significant gap through the lightweight categories with a decision and two falls and led 15-0 after the opening three matches. Sophomore Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) kept his match against sixth-ranked Franklin Gomez close and pulled within just one point midway through the third period with a takedown and two-point near fall. The Spartan wrestler, however, responded with a late takedown, and, after adding a point for riding time, won with an 11-6 edge.

MSU surged ahead with back-to-back falls from Nick and Andy Simmons as the brother combination earned quick, first-period victories over junior/sophomore Brandon Elliott (Reed City, Mich./Reed City HS) and senior/junior Brad Cusumano (Utica, Mich./Utica HS), respectively.

Senior/junior captain Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) keyed the Wolverines' rally with a dominant performance against Jeff Wimberley. Churella picked up an early advantage in the first period, scoring a takedown midway through the frame before adding five back points with a leg turk and the splits. Churella converted on another takedown in the third as the Spartan wrestler was hit with four stalling calls to push the final score 14-1 in Churella's favor.

At 157 pounds, senior/junior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) built up an early lead against the Spartans' Tony Greathouse with a single-leg takedown midway through the opening frame. Marsh extended his lead with another takedown in the second, but Greathouse rallied back with a takedown of his own early in the final frame to knot the score at 5-5. Marsh scored a quick escape, and, adding 1:37 in riding time advantage, held on for the 7-5 victory.

Senior/junior captain Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) continued the U-M momentum after the intermission, registering a 13-4 major decision against Rocky Cozart to improve his season mark to 15-0. The Wolverine wrestler utilized his speed and strength from his feet to convert on five takedowns, including two each in the first and third periods. Tannenbaum added 2:35 in riding time to tack four more points to Michigan's team score.

Riding time proved the difference at 174 pounds as Michigan State's John Murphy used his 1:06 advantage to claim a 6-5 decision against sophomore/freshman Jordan Sherrod (Portage, Mich./Central HS). After falling behind early, Sherrod took a one-point lead with a takedown in the waning moments of the second frame. Murphy picked up his escape early in the third with his riding time intact and, with no additional scoring in the period, held on for the narrow victory.

Junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS), ranked fourth, used a strong and balanced attack to record a 9-4 decision over 10th-ranked Joe Williams. Todd scored takedowns in the first and second periods a pair of reversal in the middle frame and rode Williams through the entirety of the third to return to winning form.

Junior/sophomore Casey White (Commerce Twp., Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) picked up a 6-0 shutout victory against Nick Palmieri at 197 pounds to narrow the team score to 18-17 heading into the final bout of the afternoon. After a scoreless opening frame and with the Spartan choosing bottom in the second, White accumulated a full two minutes of riding time advantage and added a pair of back points to take the only lead he would need. The Wolverine countered a bad Palmieri shot to seal his win with a takedown midway through the third period.

The Wolverines return home for continued Big Ten action against Iowa and Wisconsin next weekend. Michigan will host the Hawkeyes at Crisler Arena on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m., and finish the home stand against Wisconsin Sunday, Feb. 4 with a 1 p.m. slate at Cliff Keen Arena.

#23 Michigan State 21, #17 Michigan 17
Individual rankings from NWCA/InterMat

125 -- #6 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. Michael Watts, 11-6	MSU, 3-0
133 -- #1 Nick Simmons (MSU) pinned Brandon Elliott, 1:34	MSU, 9-0
141 -- #5 Andy Simmons (MSU) pinned Brad Cusumano, 2:13	MSU, 15-0
149 -- #3 Josh Churella (U-M) major dec. Jeff Wimberley, 14-1	MSU, 15-4
157 -- Jeff Marsh (U-M) dec. Tony Greathouse, 7-5	MSU, 15-7
165 -- #2 Eric Tannenbaum (U-M) major dec. Rocky Cozart, 13-4	MSU, 15-11
174 -- John Murphy (MSU) dec. Jordan Sherrod, 6-5	MSU, 18-11
184 -- #4 Tyrel Todd (U-M) dec. #10 Joe Williams, 9-4	MSU, 18-14
197 -- Casey White (U-M) dec. Nick Palmieri, 6-0	MSU, 18-17
285 -- Alan O'Donnell (MSU) dec. Omar Maktabi, 2-1 TB	MSU, 21-17