Feb. 3, 2001
The Purdue wrestling team picked up its second consecutive win over a nationally-ranked Big Ten team in as many nights, defeating Michigan State 18-14. Four of Purdue's wins were decided by one point while two of Purdue's wins were decided in overtime.
"I think the one thing that sums up tonight is that we just wrestled hard," head coach Jessie Reyes said. "I'm very proud of Jason Silverstein because he set the tone for us tonight, and our guys responded. You look at how some of the other matches turned out, how they went down to the wire, it all goes back to how Jason set the tone."
With the match starting at 125, Jason Silverstein, ranked 10th, defeated fourth-ranked Chris Williams 2-1. Trailing 1-0 late in the match, Silverstein scored a quick rollover with 11 seconds remaining in the match to take a 2-1 lead and hold on for the victory. Silverstein is now 16-6 overall, 3-3 in the Big Ten. Evan Robinson dropped a tough 8-4 decision to fifth-ranked Pat McNamara. He kept it close before McNamara shut him out 2-0 in the second period, registering a takedown, then finished with a 1-0 third period and an advantage in riding time. Robinson, ranked ninth at 133, drops to 17-5 overall, 3-3 in the Big Ten.
Paul Sacquitne lost by major decision to Mike Castillo, 17-3, while Brad Harper lost a close 7-3 match to 17th-ranked Karl Nadolsky. Harper kept the match scoreless after the first period, but Nadolsky picked up a pair of takedowns to lead 5-0 after two periods. Harper was able to battle back, but Nadolsky was able to hold him off for a final score of 7-3. Harper drops to 13-8, 2-2 in the Big Ten. Michigan State led 10-3 after four matches. Nadolsky upset top-ranked Adam Tirapelle of Illinois last weekend.
At 157, Clovis Crane improved to 3-0 in the Big Ten after an impressive comeback victory over Charles Sageman. The first two periods were scoreless before Sageman grabbed two points early in the third. Crane fought back with a takedown with 34 seconds remaining in the match to even the score at 2-2. In overtime, Crane rolled Sageman over for two points, giving him the victory. Crane is now 14-7 overall, 3-0 in the Big Ten.
At 165, Kirk Moore pulled off a victory in the waning seconds for the second week in a row. Moore got off to a 1-0 lead, holding Posey to the mat and gaining advantage time in the first period. Posey notched a takedown to take a 2-1 lead in the second period. He then broke a hold to take what appeared to be a commanding 3-1 lead. Posey scored a takedown with 11 seconds remaining to even the score at 3-3. Not to be outdone, Moore struck back with a quick escape with one second remaining in the third period, picking up the 4-3 victory. Moore improves to 12-8, equalling his win total from last season, and has won two of his last three Big Ten matches.
Ryan Lange continued his roll, picking up a 10-3 victory over Nate Mesyn. Lange took control of the match in the first period, registering a takedown and did a nice job keeping Mesyn to the mat. Lange continued to wrestle aggressively, adding two more points after a leg hold in the second period, followed by another takedown in the third period. Lange is now 24-6, ranked 15th in the nation, and is 5-1 in the Big Ten. With Lange's victory, the Boilermakers took their second lead of the night, 12-10.
Jared Williams won his first Big Ten match of the season, a 7-6 decision over John Wechter. He fought back nicely to gain a 3-2 lead. Wechter broke two holds to take a 4-3 lead before Williams put together an impressive third period. After exchanging escapes, Williams was able to roll up and force Wechter into a crossface, holding on for a 7-6 victory. Jon Bush, bothered by a touch of the flu, competed against one of his toughest opponents of the season in Nik Fekete, ranked 10th in the nation at 197. After a close first period, Fekete was able to pull away for a 14-6 major decision. Despite the loss, Bush still posts an impressive 15-6 record.
With the score 15-14 in favor of the Boilermakers, the pressure was on Jake Vercelli to win his match against Matt Lamb. Following a scoreless first period, Lamb escaped for one point. Vercelli evened the score at 1-1 with an escaped of his own. The match remained scoreless after the first overtime, with Vercelli holding a narrow one-second lead in advantage time. Vercelli had to hold Lamb to the mat twice. The second time he held Lamb down, Vercelli was credited with a point after Lamb received a double caution. Vercelli's win clinched the victory for the Boilermakers. He improves to 16-6 on the year, 4-1 in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers will stay at home to compete in their final home match of the season against Illinois next Friday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. It marks the final home match for senior Evan Robinson.
Purdue 18 Michigan State 14
125 Jason Silverstein (PU) dec. Chris Williams (MSU), 2-1 3-0133 Pat McNamara (MSU) dec. Evan Robinson (PU), 8-4 3-3141 Mike Castillo (MSU) maj. dec. Paul Sacquitne (PU), 17-6 3-7149 Karl Nadolsky (MSU) dec. Brad Harper (PU), 7-3 3-10157 Clovis Crane (PU) dec. Charles Sageman (MSU), 4-2, OT 6-10165 Kirk Moore (PU) dec. Cory Posey (MSU), 4-3 9-10174 Ryan Lange (PU) dec. Nate Mesyn (MSU), 10-3 12-10184 Jared Williams (PU) dec. John Wechter (MSU), 7-6 15-10197 Nik Fekete (MSU) maj. dec. Jon Bush (PU), 17-6 15-14Hwt Jake Vercelli (PU) dec. Matt Lamb (MSU), 2-1, 2 OT 18-14