Wrestling Drops Final Match of Season to State

The Tar Heels finish the regular season at 8-5, 4-1 in the ACC, while the Wolfpack is 10-7, 3-1.

A 13-4 major decision by N.C. State's George Cintron against Chris Collins at 125 pounds tied the overall score 16-16 heading into the evening's final match.

In the deciding contest, Ryan McCallum was able to score a 5-2 decision over Brad Byers at 133 pounds to give the Wolfpack the three-point win.

As the result of the random draw, the matches started at 141 pounds where N.C. State's Orafeo Brown took a 12-5 decision against Mike Booth.

A matchup of the top two 149 pounders in the ACC came next, and North Carolina's JohnMark Bentley used an escape at 1:42 of the third period to take a 3-2 decision from Tommy Davis.

Bentley finishes the regular season with a 26-1 overall record and has won 17 consecutive matches.

State's Pierre Pryor defeated Chris DiGuiseppe, 8-4, at 157 pounds, and Scott Garren was able to decision Tar Heel Jason Wilson, 5-2, at 165 pounds to give the Wolfpack a 9-3 lead after four matches.

Corey Bell got the Tar Heels back to 9-6, however, with a two-overtime decision against Dustin Kawa at 174 pounds.

The wrestlers finished regulation and the first extra period tied at four, but Bell was able to maintain advantage for the entire second overtime to take the win.

Nick Richmond then scored an 11-2 major decision from Jason Gore at 184 to give UNC a 10-9 lead with four matches remaining.

At 197, Zach Breitenbach defeated Clint Osborn, 4-0. The win placed the Wolfpack back on top 12-10, but a Matt Kenny pin fall in the heavyweight match put Carolina ahead 16-12.

Kenny scored the fall on Ricky Fowler at the 5:45 mark, and the pin was Kenny's seventh win by fall this season.

With the overall victory, N.C. State avenges a 16-14 loss to the Tar Heels back on Jan. 16.

The Tar Heels now prepare for the ACC Tournament on March 3, while the Wolfpack has two matches left: at UNC-Greensboro on Feb. 20 and at Duke on Feb. 22.