No. 18 Pitt to Face North and South Dakota State this Weekend

PITTSBURGH -- The 18th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team is set for a weekend in North and South Dakota. Pitt will first take on No. 23 North Dakota State Saturday, Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. in Fargo, N.D., before facing South Dakota State Sunday, Jan. 13 at 3 p.m. in Brookings, S.D.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Both duals will be live streamed on FloWrestling.
Live results for the duals can be found on TrackWrestling or PittsburghPanthers.com.
Follow the team on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend at @Pitt_WRES.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers improved to 6-0 on the year after defeating Oklahoma, 20-17, on the road Sunday, Jan. 6 in Tuttle, Okla.
For the second time this season, the dual came down to the final bout. Pitt trailed Oklahoma 17-16, but junior Demetrius Thomas stepped up to the challenge and sealed the deal once again.
The Panthers trailed 11-6 after the first five bouts, but key wins from redshirt junior Jake Wentzel at 165 pounds, redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi at 184 pounds and redshirt junior Kellan Stout at 197 pounds set up the dual for Thomas in the final bout.
Redshirt freshman Micky Phillippi (133 pounds) and redshirt junior Taleb Rahmani (157 pounds) also recorded individual wins.

THE SERIES

This weekend marks just the second meeting between both NDSU and SDSU.
Pitt clashed with both teams for the first time a year ago.
The Panthers faced then-ranked No. 25 NDSU Jan. 5 in Pittsburgh. The Bison left with a 28-11 win over Pitt.
Then-ranked No. 12 South Dakota State paid a visit to the Fitzgerald Field House Feb. 9, which resulted in a 25-13 win for the Jackrabbits.

SCOUTING THE BISON

North Dakota State enters the weekend ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches poll after previously checking in at No. 20.
The Bison are 6-4 on the year and 2-3 against Big 12 foes.
NDSU most recently dropped a 29-7 decision to No. 21 Iowa State in Fargo.
Three Bison are ranked individually in their respective weight classes, including No. 9 Brent Fleetwood at 125 pounds.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS

SDSU hosts No. 14 Northern Iowa Friday, Jan. 11 before taking on Pitt.
The Jackrabbits are 1-3 overall with an 0-1 mark against Big 12 foes. Their lone win came against Oregon State, Dec. 16, 19-17.
Two South Dakota State wrestlers rank in the top 20 of InterMat including No. 1 Seth Gross at 133 pounds and No. 17 Henry Pohlmeyer at 149 pounds.
Gross, the reigning 133-pound NCAA champion and two-time All-American, is not in the probable lineup for this weekend.

PANTHERS IN THE POLLS

Pitt jumped to No. 18 in this weeks USA Today/NWCA Coaches poll after previously being ranked 20th.
Following its notable win over No. 14 UNI Nov. 17, Pitt jumped into the top 25 of the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll at No. 24.
The Panthers joined the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 5, 2017. Pitt began the 2017-18 season ranked, where they spent five weeks before dropping out.
Two Panthers joined the NCAA DI Power Rankings in their respective weight classes Monday, Dec. 18 in No. 6 Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds and No. 10 Taleb Rahmani at 157 pounds.
Individually, four Panthers are ranked inside the top 20 individually by InterMat at their respective weight classes:
- Micky Phillippi, 133, #5
- Taleb Rahmani, 157, #7
- Nino Bonaccorsi, 184, #13
- Demetrius Thomas, 285, #13

PUTTING UP POINTS

Pitt's 6-0 record is its best since the 1987-88 season when the team opened the year 6-0.
Pitt has outscored its last four opponents 130-27 and has allowed just one win by an opponent in four of six duals.

LOOKING AHEAD

Pitt returns home for the first time in 2019 when it hosts No. 3 Oklahoma State at the Fitzgerald Field House Saturday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m.
The Panthers face their first road ACC opponent Friday, Jan. 25 in Blacksburg when they face the Virginia Tech Hokies at 7 p.m.

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