Wrestling loses final home dual of the season to MSU
Central Michigan wrestling has struggled with consistency throughout the lineup during the season.
Against Michigan State Saturday, inconsistency came back to bite CMU again as it lost 18-14 to the Spartans. It was the Chippewas last home dual before the Mid-American Conference Championships next month.
"We weren't very good today and they were holding on to our wrists, our hands and front headlocking us to death," said head coach Tom Borrelli. "We weren't very good in those situations."
The Chippewas struggled to score in the first period, usually one of CMU's stronger suits, as the Spartans kept hand control in the neutral position. CMU scored one takedown in the first, despite having some of the premiere shooters in the MAC.
No. 11 senior Joe Roth uncharacteristically lost his 133-pound match by decision, 8-4, as he shot on MSU's Garth Yenter and was reversed. Yenter held Roth down for three near fall points, putting the match out of reach.
Roth threw his headgear across the mat in frustration, losing a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"Sometimes when you're trying to be over aggressive bad things happen, and I think thats what happened to Joe," Borrelli said. "That was the difference in the dual meet, and I think he was trying to get a takedown and the kid was good enough to throw him from there."
CMU was caught at a disadvantage heading into the second period. The Chippewas failed to earn a takedown until 125 pounds, eight matches into the period.
"I think they were holding on to us and we didn't know how to combat it they had our wrists two on one and they wanted to slow us down," Borrelli said. "We played right into that game, we didn't expect that."
The Chippewas were able to maintain any edge until sophomore Jackson Lewis lost at 197 by decision, 4-2
MSU tied the score at nine and took a strong lead at heavyweight, when sophomore CMU's Adam Robinson was pinned by McClure in the first period.
"We've been really inconsistent all year," Borrelli said. "We've been up, we've been down, we've wrestled a bit better when people come at us, but we're not good at going after people. In the conference tournament those teams are going to have us well scouted so we have to be better at getting the guys legs and scoring takedowns."
CMU was outscored by MSU by an overall margin of 43-35.
"Certain guys have a hard time getting off the bottom, three or four guys come to mind, and others need to work on top and keeping the guy on the mat," Borrelli said. "If you take him down you need to keep him on the mat and not let them get away from you."
The Chippewas will compete next at the MAC Championships March 8 in Kent, Ohio.
