What a battle.
Ohio State and Arizona State traded punches in one of the hardest-fought duals of the season as the Buckeyes handed the Sun Devils their first loss of the year in a 17-16 nail-biter. Each team took five matches and Luke Pletcher's tech fall early in the meet – and Gavin Hoffman refusal to give up the tech to No. 1 Zahid Valencia – made the difference in the night's final score.
The Buckeyes won the matches they needed to win, including the Covelli Center debut of true freshman Jordan Decatur at 133 pounds. Decatur's win sparked a three-match run for the home team, including Pletcher's decisive win at 141.
The Covelli Center was ELECTRIC tonight. Wow
— Logan Stieber (@_LogieBear_) January 7, 2020
Arizona State battled back in what could have been a four-match run of their own starting at 157 that would have likely put the match out of reach, but Kaleb Romero was having none of it. The 174-pounder wrestled like a freight train against No. 8 Anthony Valencia, dominating the match in pretty much every phase.
Romero's win over a top-10 opponent not only burnished his credentials as a potential All-American, but was a match Ohio State couldn't afford to lose.
Romero applying ALL of the pressure in this one. All of it.
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 7, 2020
We take a break for blood time with 1:17 left. Romero up 4-0.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BcTPD0RXnW
Pletcher Power
Luke Pletcher was inches away from a first-period fall or a takedown away from a first-period tech. The No. 1 man in the country looked every inch an NCAA title contender, piling on the points not only from his feet, but with a pair of 4-point near-falls that left his opponent reeling.
Points were flying off the board! pic.twitter.com/G6MPoGgI5h
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) January 7, 2020
Moving up to 141 was just what the doctor ordered for the senior captain. Since making the move this season, he's found a higher gear and recorded a pair of pins, a pair of tech falls and five major decisions in his first 15 matches of the season.
Just a Kid from Akron
Jordan Decatur's Covelli Center debut was easily one of the evening's biggest highlights, if nothing else than for what it portends for the team moving forward. The true freshman burned his redshirt over the weekend at the F&M Open, where he went 4-0 and won the 133-pound bracket, then came up big in front of a home crowd Monday night.
Facing No. 15 Josh Kramer, Decatur came out with guns blazing, shooting off the opening whistle and getting the crowd into the match early. He demonstrated some of the toughest defense of the night, and although the match was a low-scoring affair, the young Buck looked solid in all phases of the game against a decent opponent.
If you have one nit to pick, it's that he looked a little gassed late in the match, but to his credit he maintained his focus and held off a last-second shot to win the bout. Given that he started the year at 141 and had to make weight at a tournament over the weekend and then again Monday night, it's no stretch to think that as he settles into the weight and gets comfortable with the cut, he'll give fans plenty to cheer about this season and in the years ahead.
One More for Moore
Kollin Moore and Sammy Sasso each picked up wins against ranked opponents, with No. 1 Moore dispatching the 12th-ranked 197-pounder in the class and Sasso shutting down No. 25 Josh Maruca at 149.
Moore's match was a mite closer than his typical fare, but he wrestled a savvy match at times. For example, he didn't allow Kordell Norfleet to release him before the Sun Devil picked up his second stall warning in a sequence that erased his lead and put Moore back in control of the match.
Sasso was an allowed-escape away from a major decision in his bout, a result that Tom Ryan said after the match will be a learning experience for the redshirt freshman.
| Wt | Results | OSU | ASU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | No. 15 Brandon Courtney, decision over Malik Heinselman (9-5) | 0 | 3 |
| 133 | Jordan Decatur, decision over No. 15 Josh Kramer (5-3) | 3 | 3 |
| 141 | No. 1 Luke Pletcher, victory by tech fall over Navonte Demison (19-4) | 8 | 3 |
| 149 | No. 6 Sammy Sasso, decision over No. 25 Josh Maruca (10-3) | 11 | 3 |
| 157 | Jacori Teemer, decision over Elijah Cleary (6-2) | 11 | 6 |
| 165 | No. 5 Josh Shields, decision over No. 13 Ethan Smith (6-2) | 11 | 9 |
| 174 | No. 9 Kaleb Romero, decision over No. 8 Anthony Valencia (7-3) | 14 | 9 |
| 184 | No. 1 Zahid Valencia, major decision over Gavin Hoffman (19-5) | 14 | 13 |
| 197 | No. 1 Kollin Moore, decision over No. 12 Kordell Norfleet (11-9) | 17 | 13 |
| 285 | No. 6 Tanner Hall, decision over Gary Traub (4-2) | 17 | 16 |
Malik Heinselman and Elijah Cleary both dropped matches that could have gone the other way. Although Ryan hinted Friday that Quinn Kinner was moving up to 157, Cleary seems likely at this point to hold the spot unless Kinner suddenly enters some open tournaments to earn some wins at a new weight.
Ethan Smith missed an opportunity to upset the No. 5 man at 165 after coming out strong and wrestling a close, hard-fought first period. Smith couldn't quite get his offense going, and Josh Shields held him off for the decision.
Gary Traub dropped a narrow decision against No. 6 Tanner Hall, a veteran in the heavyweight class who has made the podium at the national tournament before. Traub is wrestling with confidence in his role as starter taking over for the injured Chase Singletary, and the Buckeyes will need him to stay on the right side of the ledger in Big Ten action.
The Buckeyes are back in action Friday night as Covelli Center welcomes the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Action kicks off at 7 p.m. and streams on BTN Plus.
