Redshirt freshman Corey Keener took advantage of the rare opportunity Friday night, scoring a key takedown 40 seconds into sudden victory to secure a key Mid-American Conference win for Central Michigan over preseason conference favorite No. 25 Ohio, 19-15.
Keener and Kevon Powell were all square through regulation, but it was Keener who was finally able to finish one of his shots, getting in on a double-leg attempt and eventually earning the advantage to score a two-point takedown and earn a 3-1 decision.
The redshirt freshman ranked 12th in the country at 125 pounds twice had Powell locked in on shots earlier in the match, but was unable to finish until the sudden victory. Keener also was able to erase Powell's riding-time advantage in the third period before an optional escape evened the match, 1-1.
Senior Joe Roth opened the night for the Chippewas (7-5, 3-1 MAC) with a dominant 12-2 major decision over Kagan Squire. Roth scored an early takedown in the first period and scored pair of back points after his second takedown in the second period. Two more takedowns and over two minutes of riding time earned Roth his 13th victory of the season, moving him 11 shy of 100 for his career.
CMU was able to extend the lead to 10-3 behind wins by No. 9 Zach Horan (141 pounds) and No. 20 Lucas Smith (157 pounds). Smith shutout Spartak Chino in a heated match between the two sophomores, but secured his 3-0 win and got the crowd on its' feet with a takedown with under 10 seconds left in the match.
After a loss by redshirt freshman Nick Becker at 165 pounds that pulled the Bobcats (5-2, 1-2 MAC) within four, 10-6, junior Mike Ottinger extended the lead back to seven, 13-6, by defeating defending MAC champ and 2013 All-American No. 7 Cody Walters.
Ottinger pushed the pace throughout the entire match, while Walters stayed patient and waited for the right opportunity to attack. The strategy didn't pay off for Walters however as he was called for stalling for a second time in the third period, allowing Ottinger to claim a 2-1 decision.
Junior Craig Kelliher posted a 4-0 decision over Ryan Garringer at 184 pounds to extend the Chippewas' lead to 16-6, but back-to-back wins by ranked Bobcats, including a pin by No. 11 heavyweight Jeremy Johnson, forced Keener to pull off the heroics.
The Chippewas will look for their second-straight win over a ranked opponent on Sunday when they host No. 7 Missouri. The dual is set to begin at 2 p.m. CMU defeated the Tigers last season on the road, 17-16.
Results:
133: No. 16 Joe Roth (CMU) major dec. Kagan Squire, 12-2; CMU, 4-0
141: No. 9 Zach Horan (CMU) dec. Noah Forridor, 4-1; CMU, 7-0
149: No. 15 Tywan Claxton (Ohio) dec. Scott Mattingly, 3-1; CMU, 7-3
157: No. 20 Lucas Smith (CMU) dec. Spartak Chino, 3-0; CMU, 10-3
165: Harrison Hightower (Ohio) dec. Nick Becker 4-0; CMU, 10-6
174: No. 10 Mike Ottinger (CMU) dec. No. 7 Cody Walters, 2-1; CMU, 13-6
184: Craig Kelliher (CMU) dec. Ryan Garringer, 4-0; CMU, 16-6
197: No. 13 Phil Wellington (Ohio) dec. Jackson Lewis, 5-1; CMU, 16-9
285: No. 11 Jeremy Johnson (Ohio) fall Adam Robinson, 3:45; CMU, 16-15
125: No. 12 Corey Keener (CMU) dec. Kevon Powell, 3-1 SV1; CMU, 19-15
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