Top-ranked Oklahoma State drops No. 3 Iowa, 24-11

Most of the close matches ended in Oklahoma State's favor.

So did the final score, which wasn't so close.

The top-ranked Cowboys won seven matches, including five by three points or less, and defeated third-ranked Iowa, 24-11, in a college wrestling dual in front of 7,809 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

After top-ranked Thomas Gilman gave the Hawkeyes a 4-0 lead with a 12-4 major decision of Nick Piccininni at 125, Oklahoma State took control with five wins in the next six bouts.

'It's about close matches and close situations,' Iowa Coach Tom Brands said in the post-match news conference. 'You have to make them go your way.

'In order to make a close situation go your way, it's not because it's this close that that's the only effort you have to give. You have to give a tremendous effort to make close situations go your way.'

The closest situation occurred in the second match, swinging momentum to the Cowboys. Oklahoma State's sixth-ranked Kaid Brock edged top-ranked Cory Clark, 7-6, at 133 pounds.

Brock built a 5-0 lead when Clark stormed back to tie things with a takedown in the final minute. Brock made a decisive escape one second before Clark could earn enough riding time for a point that would have forced overtime.

Oklahoma State's next upset was also by a razor-thin margin. Third-ranked Anthony Collica and Iowa's No. 2 Brandon Sorensen combined for six escapes in 11 minutes, but Collica finished the tiebreaker periods with just a two-second advantage in riding time for the 4-3 victory.

Even after the two upsets, the Hawkeyes (7-1) still had a chance, pulling within two points at the midway point after Michael Kemerer's victory at 157. The early momentum swing didn't impact others.

'Our philosophy is when it's my time to go none of that matters,' said Iowa's Sammy Brooks, who recorded a major decision at 184. 'I don't let what happened before or after me affect my thinking. If I go out and do my job then things will work out.'

Kemerer actually was on the winning end of one of those close situations. The second-ranked redshirt freshman scored a first-period takedown and added two escapes for a 4-3 victory over No. 5 Joe Smith at 157. Kemerer has beaten three top-10 foes in his last four matches.

'For me, it's almost just thinking about myself and doing the things I do well,' Kemerer said. 'it doesn't matter who is out there. To me, it's just like it's another opponent.'

Sixth-ranked Brooks thumped fourth-ranked Nolan Boyd, 13-3, making it 18-11 with two matches left. Brooks broke open a scoreless match after the first with a takedown, reversal and eight nearfall points.

'Coming into this match it was just about getting myself ready, knowing I was going to be in for seven minutes,' Brooks said. 'When I'm feeling good, I like where I'm at.'

Oklahoma State (6-0) closed with two straight decisions and a pin from Chandler Rogers at 165. Iowa will host No. 2 Penn State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Friday.

'Our guys are going to go forward with this,' Brands said. 'Five days from now we have Penn State coming in and regardless if we win this dual we're in the same boat, except you won the dual meet. We have to get ready to go.'

AT STILLWATER, OKLA.

Oklahoma State 24, Iowa 11

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds — Thomas Gilman (I) major dec. Nick Puccininni, 12-4 (5,0); 133 — Kaid Brock (OSU) dec. Cory Clark, 7-6 (2,2); 141 — Dean Heil (OSU) dec. Topher Carton, 8-5 (2,1); 149 — Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. Brandon Sorensen, 4-3 TB2 (0,0); 157 — Michael Kemerer (I) dec. Joe Smith, 4-3 (1,0); 165 — Chandler Rogers (OSU) pinned Skyler St. John, 2:18 (2,0); 174 — Kyle Crutchmer (OSU) dec. Alex Meyer, 5-2 (2,0); 184 — Sammy Brooks (I) major dec. Nolan Boyd, 13-3 (1,0); 197 — Preston Weigel (OSU) dec. Cash Wilcke, 6-0 (0,0); Hwt. — Austin Schafer (OSU) dec. Sam Stoll, 5-4 (2,0).

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns — Iowa 10, Oklahoma State 10. Reversals — Iowa 1, Oklahoma State 2. Escapes — Iowa 16, Oklahoma State 18. Nearfall points — Iowa 8, Oklahoma State 4. Penalty points (awarded) — Iowa 2, Oklahoma State 0. Riding time points — Iowa 2, Oklahoma State 1. Total match points — Iowa 50, Oklahoma State 49. Attendance — 7,809.