Michigan
Northwestern
Wolverines Use Bonus Points to Hammer Northwestern
1/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 29, 2016
» Alec Pantaleo fell to No. 4 Jason Tsirtsis, 4-2, on a counter takedown in overtime at 149 pounds.
» Michigan has claimed each of its last seven dual meets and improved to 5-0 in Big Ten competition.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Scores: #8 Michigan 39, Northwestern 6
Records: U-M (10-1, 5-0 Big Ten), NU (1-8, 0-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Jan. 31 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team made quick work of Northwestern, needing little more than 70 minutes -- with a 10-minute intermission -- to earn a dominant 39-6 decision against the Wildcats on Friday evening (Jan. 29) in front of 1,056 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines claimed eight individual matches, earning bonus points in six, including three first-period falls.
The dual started at 174 pounds -- at the front end of the Wolverines' upperweight gauntlet -- and Michigan took advantage, claiming each of the opening five weights with four bonus wins to jump out to a 24-0 lead at the intermission break.
Sophomore/freshman Davonte Mahomes, ranked 13th in the latest InterMat poll, used an explosive third period to secure a 12-4 major decision against Mitch Sliga at the opening weight. After a scoreless first period, Mahomes finished on two single legs in the second and added three more takedowns in the third, including one on the edge at the final buzzer to earn the bonus win after his riding-time point.
Junior Domenic Abounader, ranked eighth at 184 pounds, earned his second straight first-period fall -- and fifth of the season -- at the 1:56 mark against Regis Durbin. Abounader struck quickly with a single-leg takedown and went to work on top, using a leg turk and power half to slowly turn Durbin to his back and collect the fall. Abounader boasts a perfect 10-0 dual record.
Graduate student Max Huntley, ranked sixth nationally, took advantage of a quick start to defeat Jacob Berkowitz, 8-5, at 197 pounds. Huntley finished on a spin around and a single leg in the first period but gave up a takedown midway through the second to tighten up the score. He earned a reversal, escaped in the third and added a point for 2:14 riding-time advantage. Like Abouander, Huntley is undefeated in duals with an 11-0 mark.
Junior heavyweight Adam Coon, ranked fourth nationally, also improved to 11-0 with a quick 40-second pin against Conan Jennings -- his third of the season. He spun around to score off a snap down and secured the fall just seconds later, using an arm bar-suck back combination to end the bout.
Senior/junior Conor Youtsey turned over the lineup with an explosive 20-2 technical fall against Garrison White at 125 pounds, blowing the bout open with a 10-point third period. Youtsey picked up three takedowns and a four-point suck back through the opening two frames before doubling his score in the third with a reversal and two sets of four-point near falls off a leg turk.
After the Wildcats eked out a one-point decision at 133 pounds and subsequently forfeited at 141, sixth-ranked sophomore Alec Pantaleo and fourth-ranked Jason Tsirtsis -- a 2014 NCAA champion -- took the mat for the marquee match of the dual at 149 pounds. The wrestlers traded two points apiece in regulation -- on escapes, Tsirtsis riding time and a Pantaleo stall point -- and Pantaleo, who shot in on several leg attacks throughout the match but could not finish, initiated a scramble in overtime. He spun around and nearly had control, but Tsirtsis countered, putting the Wolverine on his back for the takedown and a 4-2 win.
Michigan regained momentum with another quick first-period pin from ninth-ranked junior Brian Murphy against Anthony Petrone at 157 pounds. Murphy finished on a pair of early takedowns, including an ankle pick off a restart, off of which he locked up a cradle to stick Petrone at the 1:03 mark. It was his second pin of the season.
Sophomore Garrett Sutton closed out the dual with an 8-3 decision against Luke Norland at 165 pounds, scoring on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and a second-period reversal to control from beginning to end.
To be fair to Northwestern, 174 is a poor draw against Michigan
-- Bloodround Wrestling (@Bloodround) January 30, 2016
The Wolverines will close out the weekend on the road, traveling to State College, Pennsylvania, on Sunday (Jan. 31) to face No. 1-ranked Penn State at 2 p.m. at Rec Hall. The dual will be aired live on BTN Plus.
 |  |
39 | 6 |
| Match | U-M | NU |
| 174 -- #13 Davonte Mahomes (U-M) major dec. Mitch Sliga, 12-4 | 4 | 0 |
| 184 -- #8 Domenic Abounader (U-M) pinned Regis Durbin, 1:56 | 10 | 0 |
| 197 -- #6 Max Huntley (U-M) dec. Jacob Berkowitz, 8-5 | 13 | 0 |
| Hwt -- #4 Adam Coon (U-M) pinned Conan Jennings, 0:40 | 19 | 0 |
| 125 -- Conor Youtsey (U-M) tech. fall Garrison White, 20-2 (6:23) | 24 | 0 |
| 133 -- Dom Malone (NU) dec. #17 Rossi Bruno, 3-2 | 24 | 3 |
| 141 -- George Fisher (U-M) win by forfeit | 30 | 3 |
| 149 --#4 Jason Tsirtsis (NU) dec. #6 Alec Pantaleo, 4-2 SV | 30 | 6 |
| 157 --#9 Brian Murphy (U-M) pinned Anthony Petrone, 1:03 | 36 | 6 |
| 165 -- Garrett Sutton (U-M) dec. Luke Norland, 8-3 | 39 | 6 |
| Individual rankings from InterMat | ||
Communications Contact: Leah Howard
Players Mentioned
