Hawkeyes handle Huskers, 24-9

The University of Iowa wrestling team returned to its winning ways.

The second-ranked Hawkeyes won seven of 10 matches to defeat No. 7 Nebraska, 24-9, Friday night in a Big Ten Conference dual at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. The win was the 900th in school history.

“We did some good things,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said in a news release. “You can start with the victory over a capable and confident opponent. We grabbed control of the dual, which is always important, but we need to grab control of every match and not give the opponent any opportunities.”

Iowa red-shirt freshman Mike Evans posted the biggest win of the night, beating third-ranked Robert Kokesh, 7-3, at 165 pounds. Evans, ranked ninth, scored takedowns in the first two periods, adding a reversal and a third-period escape.

Grant Gambrall scored a takedown in sudden victory overtime for a 3-1 decision over James Nakashima at 197 to open the dual as the Hawkeyes built an 18-3 lead.

Matt McDonough scored a fall at 125, decking Shawn Nagel in 4 minutes, 50 seconds, giving Iowa a 9-3 advantage. Tony Ramos (133), Montell Marion, Mike Kelly (149) and 174-pounder Ethen Lofthouse all added decisions. Marion, ranked third, tallied three takedowns in the final two periods, dropping No. 6 Jake Sueflohn, 9-6, at 141.

Iowa improved to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes extended its school-record road unbeaten streak to 50 straight, dating back to Dec. 9, 2007. Iowa has won 38 straight Big ten duals.

Nebraska (10-1, 1-1 Big Ten) had its school-record win streak halted at 10. Cornhusker ninth-ranked heavyweight Tucker Lane scored an escape and takedown in the third, adding a point for more than a minute of riding time, to beat No. 8 Bobby Telford, 4-1. Nebraska's Josh Ihnen, an Iowa state champion from Sheldon, earned a 10-5 decision over Vinnie Wagner at 184.

Iowa hosts No. 17 Northwestern at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. The event is a "Be Bold, Wear Gold" event. Fans are encouraged to wear gold attire to the dual.

197 pounds - Grant Gambrall (I) dec. James Nakashima, 3-1 (1,0); Hwt. - Tucker Lane (N) dec. Bobby Telford, 4-1 (1,0); 125 - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Shawn Nagel, 4:50 (5-0); 133 - Tony Ramos (I) dec. Ridge Kiley, 10-3 (4,0); 141 - Montell Marion (I) dec. Jake Sueflohn, 9-6 (3,1); 149 - Mike Kelly (I) dec. Brandon Wilbourn, 7-3 (1,1); 157 - James Green (N) dec. Nick Moore, 12-7 (4,2); 165 - Mike Evans (I) dec. Robert Kokesh, 7-3 (2,0); 174 - Ethen Lofthouse (I) dec. Tyler Koehn, 8-1 (3,0); 184 - Josh Ihnen (N) dec. Vinnie Wagner, 10-5 (4,0).

Takedowns - Iowa 21, Nebraska 11;

Reversals - Iowa 3, Nebraska 1;

Escapes - Iowa 16, Nebraska 19;

Nearfall points - Iowa 2, Nebraska 0;

Riding time - Iowa 3, Nebraska 3.

Penalty points (awarded) - Iowa 2, Nebraska 1.

Total match points - Iowa 71, Nebraska 47.