by OREM, Utah – The Oklahoma wrestling team fell to Utah Valley, 19-18, on Friday night by criteria of most individual match wins. The Wolverines won six matches while the Sooners claimed four.
OU, which recorded two wins by fall in the match, fell to 7-8 on the season and 3-4 in Big 12 contests.
The match started at 149 pounds, where No. 20 Davion Jeffries gave the Sooners a strong start by pinning Matthew Ontiveros in 1:40. The win by fall marked Jeffries’ fifth of the season, a team high, and put OU up 6-0.
Justin Thomas extended OU’s lead with a 6-2 decision over Raider Lofthouse at 157 pounds. Thomas opened the match with a 2-1 lead in the first period with a takedown. Although Lofthouse tied the bout at 2-2 in the second, Thomas secured his 20th win of the season with an escape, a takedown and the riding-time point in the final frame.
After the Wolverines won by decision in the next five bouts, No. 17 Christian Moody tied the dual up at 15-15 with a win by fall over Josh Jensen at 125 pounds. Moody’s third pin of the season came in 4:39.
At 133 pounds, Jake Rubio edged Durbin Lloren by 2-0 decision. After a scoreless first frame, Rubio escaped to begin the second and claim a 1-0 advantage. He rode Lloren out in the final period and secured the win with the riding-time point.
Dawaylon Barnes dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 16 Demetrius Romero at 165 pounds. In the 174-pound match, No. 10 Yoanse Mejias was defeated by Kimball Bastian, 2-1. Matthew Waddell was downed in an 8-6 decision by Gary Jantzer.
Andrew Dixon fell to Tanner Orndorff at 197 pounds in a 6-2 decision. In the heavyweight match, Connor Webb was edged, 2-1, by Dustin Dennison. In the final bout of the dual, Mike Longo was narrowly defeated by Matt Findlay, 12-10, in the first sudden-victory period.
Up next, the Sooners travel to Laramie, Wyo., to take on No. 22 Wyoming on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
