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    Gardner-Webb picks up victory over Carson-Newman

    BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Gardner-Webb wrestling team took the middle matches of the night to overcome an early deficit, defeating Carson-Newman College by a 25-16 score Thursday evening in front of a frenzied crowd in Paul Porter Arena.

    The win was the Bulldogs' fifth of the season and their second victory at home.

    The contest started at 125 with GWU student-athlete Tommy Bennett squaring off with Kody Pierson of CNC. Pierson got on the board first with a takedown just 32 seconds into the match. Bennett cut the deficit in half with 90 seconds to go in the opening period, but Pierson countered with another takedown for a 4-1 advantage. With another escape and a takedown, Bennett knotted the score at 4-4 with a minute to go in the first stanza, which is how the period ended.

    Starting the second period on bottom, Bennett took the lead with an escape, but Pierson countered with two points 39 seconds into the contest. Bennett, from the down position once action resumed, tied the score with another escape as Pierson wanted to wrestle on their feet.

    Pierson scored a takedown with just under a minute to go to go up 8-6, but Bennett escaped to pull within one, 8-7.With just 14 seconds to go, Bennett scored a reversal to win the match, 9-8.

    Kent Pierson quickly went up 4-2 just 45 seconds into the match. He piled on two more points in the first minute of action against Matthew Featherston at 133. Featherston used an escape to cut the deficit to three, 6-3, at the 1:50 mark of the first period. Pierson finished the first stanza with a 10-4 lead.

    Pierson continued piling up the points, garnering a 15-7 working margin with just 30 seconds remaining in the second period. Pierson dominated the rest of the outset, winning 24-9.

    Chas Franz squared off with Aymen Habiballah at 141. Habiballah went up 2-1 with a minute to go in the opening frame. At the end of the first period, Habiballah scored a 4-2 lead.

    Franz started the second period in the down position and used an escape to pull within one, 4-3. Habiballah scored a two-point takedown with three seconds left to go in the second for a 6-3 advantage. Franz was unable to come back in the final period, dropping a 9-4 decision, giving the visitors a 7-3 lead.

    However, Edward McCray got the Bulldogs back into the match, pinning Kurtis Hess just 24 seconds into the contest at 149. With the pin, GWU took a 9-7 advantage heading into 157.

    Austin Reece took on Robert Cate in the 157 lb. division. The match was scoreless heading into the second period, where Reece started at the down position. Reese was able to escape from the position 28 seconds into the stanza for a 1-0 lead, which is how the second period ended. Cate escaped from a strong Reece hold with a minute remaining in the match to knot the score, 1-1. Neither was able to score the remainder of the match, sending it into overtime.

    Reece was able to score a 6-1 win in overtime, giving GWU a 12-7 lead.

    At 165, Garmonyou Neplo earned a forfeit for an 18-7 Bulldog advantage.

    Landon Hall picked up an early 2-1 lead over Brendan Couture in the first period.

    Couture started in the down position in the second stanza and easily escaped, knotting the tally at 2-2. However, Hall posted two points for a 4-2 lead before Couture escaped another hold, pulling within one at 4-3. Couture had Hall down for much of the third period, but Hall was able to pick up an escape for a 5-3 lead with 32 seconds to go. Couture nearly picked up a pin in the closing seconds, but was unable to record the points. Hall ended up winning by a 5-3 count.

    Chad Davis scored a 2-0 lead on Will Campbell in the early going of their match at the 184 lb. class. However, Campbell tallied an escape, pulling within one at 2-1.

    Davis was able to escape to start the second frame for a 3-1 advantage. The score was unchanged heading into the deciding period. Campbell picked up an escape for a point just 15 seconds into the stanza. Davis was able to hold onto the lead despite Campbell's best effort in the waning seconds of the match, winning 3-2. GWU held a 21-10 advantage heading into the 197 lb. division.

    Dustin Porter and Dustin Knox grappled next at 197. Porter totaled two points on an early move and then scored three more on a near fall two minutes into the match.

    Porter tacked on three points at the outset of the second period, giving him an 8-0 lead. He then added a three-point near fall with a minute to go in the middle frame. Porter gained two more points at the close of the period for a 13-0 lead going into the final stanza.

    Windell Wilson and Andre Reese squared off in the heavyweight match-up. Heading into the contest, GWU held a 25-10 advantage.

    Reese pinned Wilson 2:33 into the contest for the final 25-16 margin.

    The Bulldogs head to Staten Island, N.Y., where they will take on American International and host Wagner on Feb. 23.

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