The Iowa wrestlers started the meet with a pin and ended it with a pin.
Spence Lee started out with a 38-second pin.
It amazes me a little how much stronger Spencer is than his opponents.
The 3-time NCAA champ can get a tilt and bonus points any time he wants.
Spencer has pinned his last five opponents and looks as good as ever.
“I’m wrestling every match as hard as I can,” said Spencer. “I just happen to be getting pins.”
Spencer is 9-0 with six pins, two majors, a tech fall and has won 47 straight matches.
The only problem I have is that his matches don’t last very long.
At 133 junior Brody Teske came from behind and won 5-2. Brody is 3-0.
“I was finally able to get all my ducks in a row and wrestle in front of a sold-out crowd,” said Brody. “That’s what I live for, and it was a lot of fun.”
Real Woods, ranked 2nd at 141, beat 4th ranked Brock Hardy 6-4. Woods has added the tilt move similar to Spencer’s.
Max Murin got Iowa’s second pin at 149. Max, ranked 11th, is 13-2 with a career high ten bonus point victories including four falls, four tech falls and two majors this season.
Patrick Kennedy got a 12-4 major at 165. Kennedy has won eight consecutive matches and is 12-1 with nine bonus point wins. Patrick, a sophomore, was a four-time Minnesota high school state champion.
Nelson Brands lost a 3-2 decision to 3rd ranked Mikey Labriola.
The Hawks won the last three matches including a pin for Tony Cassioppi.
Tony is 15-0 with ten pins, which leads the NCAA.
“Our job is to put on a show,” said Spencer Lee. “Cassioppi’s last match was awesome.”
You have to give a shout out to the crowd. The last two years, Iowa has sold out every match and they are loud and proud.
Iowa 19 Wisconsin 18
It took criteria points for the Hawkeyes to beat the Badgers, but a win is a win.
Iowa and Wisconsin both won five matches, but Iowa won the dual on the third criteria, which is points scored in decisions, majors and tech falls.
The Hawks had two freshman wrestle at 174 and 197.
Both lost by decisions.
Spencer Lee got his 6th consecutive fall, a new career-long streak, getting the pin at 4:38.
At least we got to see him for more than one period.
In his last four matches, Lee has pinned the No. 9, No. 3, No. 7 and No. 6 wrestlers giving him seven falls this season. Spencer led 16-3 in the second period before getting the pin. He is so much fun to watch and thankfully Spencer got to wrestle an extra year because of Covid.
Brody Teske (133), Real Woods (141) and Cobe Siebrecht (157) got decisions, but the biggest win was Tony Cassioppi winning 4-1 at heavyweight.
Tony broke open a 1-1 tie with a takedown with 20 seconds left in the third period. That is the third time this season Tony took the mat with the dual on the line.
“It doesn’t change anything for me,” said Tony. “I have to go out and do my job.”
Hawkeye Women win in OT over the Spartans
The Hawkeyes won at the Breslin Center for just the second time in 12 tries.
When they were behind 77-73 with 2:30 left in the game it didn’t look good.
It was interesting to see the five players on the floor for the overtime.
Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis and Hannah Stuelke played all five minutes of overtime. McKenna Warnock was injured, and Monica Czinano fouled out.
Monica finished with 22 points and broke a school record for field goal percentage for a single game going 11-11 from the floor. For the season, Monica is shooting 65% from the floor, which is third best in the Big Ten.
It was one of those grind it out games.
There were 18 lead changes, and it was tied 11 times. Caitlin led the Hawks with 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Seven of her points came in overtime.
“This was a battle,” said coach Lisa Bluder. “So may fouls, so many turnovers. It wasn’t pretty but we won. Losing McKenna, losing Monica to fouls, not shooting the ball well and having 20 turnovers.”
The Spartans like to press and outscored Iowa 20-6 on points off turnovers, but the Hawkeyes had an 18-8 advantage on fast break points.
Iowa was also 22-27 from the free throw line.
“I thought Molly Davis was outstanding,” said Lisa. “She came up with two huge stops against them. Molly made two huge free throws to ice the game with two seconds left.”
Molly finished with seven points and four assists.
Hawkeye Men
The Hawkeye men took a step back losing at Ohio State and snapping a four-game winning streak.
The Hawks trailed by two at the half (37-35) but the Buckeyes outscored Iowa 56-42 in the second half shooting 56% from the floor, 50% from three and outscoring the Hawks 36-16 on points in the paint. For the game, State outscored Iowa 50-32 on points in the paint.
For a while it looked like a layup drill for the Buckeyes.
Iowa could not find an answer for freshman Brice Sensabaugh who scored a career high 27 points shooting 10-12 from the floor, 4-5 from three and 3-3 from the free throw line. Hopefully, Brice will turn pro next year.
Kris Murray (22), Filip Rebraca (15) and Ahron Ulis (12) led the Hawks. That’s the 12th time in the last 13 games Filip has been in double figures.
“You can’t turn the ball over 14 times on the road and win,” said Fran McCaffery. “Very poor performance defensively and on the glass.”
The Buckeyes out rebounded the Hawks 36-29.
No. 2 Hawkeye wrestlers pound Nebraska 34-6
January 26, 2023
Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com • Contributed Photo
Tony Cassioppi is declared the winner over Nebraska’s Cale Davidson during the 285-pound bout in their dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Friday, Jan. 20. Cassioppi won with a fall in 6:39.
