Saturday, January 16
Pittsburgh, Pa.
10 AM
Pitt
31
vs
12
Duke
Panthers Open ACC Season with 31-12 Victory over Duke
1/16/2021 12:30:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team earned another decisive home win and opened the 2021 ACC wrestling season with a 31-12 victory over Duke on Saturday at the Fitzgerald Filed House.
The Panthers, ranked No. 12 by the NWCA Coaches Poll this week, beat No. 17 Lehigh 24-9 last Saturday at home and once again pulled away, this time beating Duke by a double-digit margin.
Pitt (3-0, 1-0 ACC) has now won its first three dual matches for the second time in four seasons under head coach Keith Gavin, who improved to 4-0 against the Blue Devils (0-1, 0-1) in head-to-head action.
"I thought we wrestled well today with a lineup that included some new guys," Gavin said. "We know everybody has to be ready to go, especially in a year like this. You have to be ready to wrestle. And I thought, for the most part, that our guys did a nice job today."
For the third consecutive weekend, Pitt's upper weights went undefeated to help overturn a deficit.
Trailing 12-9 at the intermission, the Panthers won the final five matches to pull away from Duke. Pitt now owns an 8-0 mark all-time against the Blue Devils with a 6-0 record at the Fitzgerald Field House.
Unlike the Lehigh dual, when Pitt won eight matches by decision, the Panthers poured on bonus-point victories on Saturday in their ACC opener.
Junior Micky Phillippi won by first-period pin, senior Jake Wentzel took a forfeit victory, senior Gregg Harvey and junior Nino Bonaccorsi earned major decisions and sophomore heavyweight Jake Slinger impressed again to wrap up the dual with a technical fall.
"Continuing to score in matches has been a huge focus for us," Gavin added. "We've worked a lot on scoring on top, and I thought we did well in that position today. That's something that can set you apart, so we need to continue to focus on improving in that area."
Also winning for Pitt, redshirt freshmen Colton Camacho and Jared McGill controlled their matches en route to comfortable individual victories.
The Panthers face their biggest challenge yet next Friday when they travel to Raleigh to meet NC State, currently ranked No. 4 by the NWCA Coaches Poll, at 6 p.m. in a matchup televised on the ACC Network.
Full results from Saturday's action are available below.
No. 12 Pitt 31, Duke 12
125 | Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Logan Agin (Duke), 6-4 (Pitt leads, 3-0)
133 | Micky Phillippi (Pitt) pins Parker Decker (Duke), 2:27 (Pitt leads, 9-0)
141 | Patrick Rowland (Duke) dec. Jake Cherry (Pitt), 4-3 (Pitt leads, 9-3)
149 | Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec. Luke Kemerer (Pitt), 9-5 (Pitt leads, 9-6)
157 | Brandon LaRue (Duke) pins Antonio Petrucelli (Pitt), 3:58 (Duke leads, 12-9)
165 | Jake Wentzel (Pitt) wins by forfeit (Pitt leads, 15-12)
174 | Jared McGill (Pitt) dec. Conor Becker (Duke), 4-0 (Pitt leads, 18-12)
184 | Gregg Harvey (Pitt) maj. dec. Luke Chakonis (Duke), 10-0 (Pitt leads, 22-12)
197 | Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) maj. dec. Kaden Russell (Duke), 9-1 (Pitt leads, 26-12)
HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) tech. fall Brayden Ray (Duke), 22-3 (4:10) (Pitt wins, 31-12)
Additional Matches
149 | Luke Kemerer (Pitt) maj. dec. Ty Mills (Duke), 8-0
184 | Jack Wimmer (Duke) dec. Nicholas Meglino (Pitt), 3-2
197 | Austin Cooley (Pitt) dec. Vincent Baker (Duke), 9-6
HWT | Cole Rickert (Pitt) maj. dec. Max Fausnaugh (Duke), 14-3
HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke), 6-1
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The Panthers, ranked No. 12 by the NWCA Coaches Poll this week, beat No. 17 Lehigh 24-9 last Saturday at home and once again pulled away, this time beating Duke by a double-digit margin.
Pitt (3-0, 1-0 ACC) has now won its first three dual matches for the second time in four seasons under head coach Keith Gavin, who improved to 4-0 against the Blue Devils (0-1, 0-1) in head-to-head action.
"I thought we wrestled well today with a lineup that included some new guys," Gavin said. "We know everybody has to be ready to go, especially in a year like this. You have to be ready to wrestle. And I thought, for the most part, that our guys did a nice job today."
For the third consecutive weekend, Pitt's upper weights went undefeated to help overturn a deficit.
Trailing 12-9 at the intermission, the Panthers won the final five matches to pull away from Duke. Pitt now owns an 8-0 mark all-time against the Blue Devils with a 6-0 record at the Fitzgerald Field House.
Unlike the Lehigh dual, when Pitt won eight matches by decision, the Panthers poured on bonus-point victories on Saturday in their ACC opener.
Junior Micky Phillippi won by first-period pin, senior Jake Wentzel took a forfeit victory, senior Gregg Harvey and junior Nino Bonaccorsi earned major decisions and sophomore heavyweight Jake Slinger impressed again to wrap up the dual with a technical fall.
"Continuing to score in matches has been a huge focus for us," Gavin added. "We've worked a lot on scoring on top, and I thought we did well in that position today. That's something that can set you apart, so we need to continue to focus on improving in that area."
Also winning for Pitt, redshirt freshmen Colton Camacho and Jared McGill controlled their matches en route to comfortable individual victories.
The Panthers face their biggest challenge yet next Friday when they travel to Raleigh to meet NC State, currently ranked No. 4 by the NWCA Coaches Poll, at 6 p.m. in a matchup televised on the ACC Network.
Full results from Saturday's action are available below.
No. 12 Pitt 31, Duke 12
125 | Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Logan Agin (Duke), 6-4 (Pitt leads, 3-0)
133 | Micky Phillippi (Pitt) pins Parker Decker (Duke), 2:27 (Pitt leads, 9-0)
141 | Patrick Rowland (Duke) dec. Jake Cherry (Pitt), 4-3 (Pitt leads, 9-3)
149 | Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec. Luke Kemerer (Pitt), 9-5 (Pitt leads, 9-6)
157 | Brandon LaRue (Duke) pins Antonio Petrucelli (Pitt), 3:58 (Duke leads, 12-9)
165 | Jake Wentzel (Pitt) wins by forfeit (Pitt leads, 15-12)
174 | Jared McGill (Pitt) dec. Conor Becker (Duke), 4-0 (Pitt leads, 18-12)
184 | Gregg Harvey (Pitt) maj. dec. Luke Chakonis (Duke), 10-0 (Pitt leads, 22-12)
197 | Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) maj. dec. Kaden Russell (Duke), 9-1 (Pitt leads, 26-12)
HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) tech. fall Brayden Ray (Duke), 22-3 (4:10) (Pitt wins, 31-12)
Additional Matches
149 | Luke Kemerer (Pitt) maj. dec. Ty Mills (Duke), 8-0
184 | Jack Wimmer (Duke) dec. Nicholas Meglino (Pitt), 3-2
197 | Austin Cooley (Pitt) dec. Vincent Baker (Duke), 9-6
HWT | Cole Rickert (Pitt) maj. dec. Max Fausnaugh (Duke), 14-3
HWT | Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke), 6-1
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