The MSU wrestling team dropped another Big Ten dual Friday night, falling 27-8 against No. 7 Nebraska.
The Spartans (3-7 overall, 1-5 Big Ten) started the night off with an impressive performance from senior 125-pounder Eric Olanowsk, who opened the dual with a technical fall at 4:09, giving the Spartans a 5-0 lead.
However, the Cornhuskers bounced back when No. 19 Ridge Kiley notched a 7-2 decision over freshman 133-pounder Brandon Fifield, cutting the Spartan lead to 5-3.
No. 5 Jake Sueflohn kept the Nebraska momentum moving by recording a 13-3 major decision over freshman 141-pounder Brian Gibbs and giving the Cornhuskers a 7-5 lead.
MSU and Nebraska continued to go back and forth, with junior 149-pounder Dan Osterman notching a 3-2 decision over Brandon Wilbourn before No. 12 senior 157-pounder Anthony Jones, Jr. dropped a close 3-2 decision to No. 8 James Green.
No. 6 Robert Kokesh added to the Nebraska lead when he recorded a 16-4 major decision over senior 165-pounder David Cheza. The Spartans’ woes continued when No. 11 senior 174-pounder Curran Jacobs dropped his first match since Jan. 8, 5-2.
Senior 184-pounder Ian Hinton and redshirt freshman 197-pounder Nick McDiarmid were unable to stop the bleeding, dropping their matches by an 11-2 major decision and 3-2 decision, respectively.
In the final match, junior heavyweight Steve Andrus fell 3-2 to No. 9 Tucker Lane, and Nebraska left Jenison Field House with the victory.
Although the final score did not show it, the Spartans were able to hang with the Cornhuskers for most of the night. MSU dropped three matches by a score of 3-2, which exhibited its ability to stick with one of the better teams in the nation.
The Spartans head to Ann Arbor on Sunday to face No. 10 Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena at 2 p.m.
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