Gillespie Wins 100th Career Match But Fighting Scots Fall to Sixth-Ranked Buckeyes, 23-13
 
COLUMBUS, Oh. (February 14, 2008) – Ohio State celebrated senior night with a 23-13 win over Edinboro on Thursday night at St. John Arena in a matchup of two nationally-ranked teams.  The Buckeyes, enjoying one of their best seasons in years, are now 19-3 and came into the match ranked sixth in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Top 25.  Edinboro, ranked 14th, is now 8-3.
            The highlight of the night came at 157 lbs., as Gregor Gillespie collected his 100th career win with a 6-0 decision over Jason Johnstone.  The junior came into the match ranked number one in the country and improved hi record to 26-2.  He now has a 100-8 career ledger, becoming the 20th wrestler in Edinboro history to win 100 matches.
            Gillespie registered a takedown in the first minute of the match for a 2-0 lead after one period.  He added an escape and takedown in the second period, and picked up his final point thanks to a 3:38 advantage in riding time.
            Unfortunately for Edinboro, Gillespie’s win was the first of the night for the Fighting Scots, as they fell behind 17-0.  OSU’s Nikko Triggas got the match underway with a fall over Eric Morrill at 125 lbs., sending Morrill to 14-8 with the pin at 1:04.  Reece Humphrey, ranked 13th at 133 lbs., outlasted Ricky Deubel, 7-3, to give the Buckeyes a 9-0 lead.  Humphrey used three takedowns, two in the first period, to drop Deubel to 20-11 while improving to 22-6.
            Freshman Torsten Gillespie squared off against T.J. Enright at 141 lbs. and narrowly missed out on a win.  The two traded escapes in the second and third periods, but Enright opened the overtime period with a takedown just five seconds into the period for a 3-1 win in overtime.  The loss dropped Gillespie to 16-13.
            Seventh-ranked Lance Palmer had little trouble improving to 20-6 for the Buckeyes as he won an 18-0 technical fall at 5:38 over Daryl Cocozzo.  The lead was just 2-0 after one period on a takedown, but palmer added an escape, takedown and three near-fall points in the second period for an 8-0 lead.  He would turn Cocozzo three more times in the third for nine near-fall points.  Cocozzo falls to 25-10.
            After Gillespie brought Edinboro to 17-3, Jarrod King met Colt Sponseller in one of two matches between nationally-ranked opponents.  King, ranked 15th, narrowly missed upsetting eighth-ranked Sponseller, losing 6-4 in overtime.  King led 2-0 after one period thanks to a takedown, and had a 3-0 lead after a second period escape.  In the third period, Sponseller got on the board with an escape, then knotted it at 3-3 with a takedown with 49 seconds left.  King would escape at the 37-second mark for 4-3 lead, but a stalling point awarded to Sponseller sent the match into overtime.  Sponseller responded with a takedown with 23 seconds left to improve to 16-1.  King had won six straight matches and is now 24-7.
            Edinboro would close to 20-13 with wins in the next three bouts.  Phil Moricone, ranked 18th, picked up a major decision over Alex Picazo, winning 10-1 to improve to 19-9.  Moricone led 4-1 after one period thanks to a takedown and two back points, then added two near-fall points in the second for a 6-1 advantage.  In the third period, Moricone used an escape, a takedown and 2:35 in riding time to pick up the bonus points.
            The 184 lb. match was expected to be a battle between OSU’s Mike Pucillo, ranked second, and 16th-ranked Chris Honeycutt.  But Pucillo was replaced in the lineup by Wes Bergman, and the Edinboro freshman came away with a 3-0 decision.  The first two periods were scoreless, but Honeycutt started out in the down position to start the third, came up with a reversal, and then rose out Bergman to end up with 3:35 in riding time.  Honeycutt improved to 22-5.
            Pat Bradshaw boosted his record to 24-9 with a 10-3 decision over John Weakley at 197 lbs.  Bradshaw got off to a fast start with a takedown halfway through the period, followed by three near-fall points.  He would build the lead to 8-1 after two periods on an escape and takedown.  Weakley started the third period with a takedown, but Bradshaw would escape and add a point for riding time.
            The second meeting of nationally-ranked wrestlers took place at heavyweight, with second-ranked J.D. Bergman handing Joey Fendone his second straight loss by a 5-1 decision.  Bergman had a takedown in the first minute for a 2-0 lead, with a Bergman reversal and Fendone escape making it 4-1 after two periods.  The Buckeye added a point for riding time to improve to 26-1.  Fendone, ranked 19th, is 13-7.
            Edinboro has no time to rest, as the Fighting Scots host Buffalo on Friday night.  The match gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at McComb fieldhouse.        
 
#6 OHIO STATE 23, #14 EDINBORO 13
Thursday, February 14, 2008
St. John Arena
Columbus, OH
 
125 lbs.             Nikko Triggas (OSU) fall over Eric Morrill (EU), 1:04                                0-6
133 lbs.            #13 Reece Humphrey (OSU) dec. Ricky Deubel (EU), 7-3                          0-9
141 lbs.            T.J. Enright (OSU) dec. Torsten Gillespie (EU), 3-1 ot                                 0-12
149 lbs.            #7 Lance Painter (OSU) tech. fall Daryl Cocozzo (EU), 18-0 (5:38)          0-17
157 lbs.            #1 Gregor Gillespie (EU) dec. Jason Johnstone (OSU), 6-0                          3-17
165 lbs.            #8 Colt Sponseller (OSU) dec. #15 Jarrod King (EU), 6-4 ot                       3-20
174 lbs.            #18 Phil Moricone (EU) maj. dec. Alex Picazo (OSU), 10-1                       7-20
184 lbs.            #16 Chris Honeycutt (EU) dec. Wes Bergman (OSU), 3-0                          10-20
197 lbs.            Pat Bradshaw (EU) dec. John Weakley (OSU), 10-3                                   13-20
Hwt.                #2 J.D. Bergman (OSU) dec. #19 Joey Fendone (EU), 5-1                           13-23
 
RECORDS:     Edinboro                     8-3
                        Ohio State                   19-3