Pitt
Virginia Tech
No. 22 Panthers Drop Dual to No. 13 Hokies, 26-12
2/16/2024 9:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—A shorthanded Pitt wrestling team fell to Virginia Tech, 26-12, in ACC action on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House, but the Panthers still provided some fireworks for the fans.
Missing injured top-20 ranked wrestlers Luca Augustine at 174 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at heavyweight, the No. 22 Panthers still battled No. 13 Virginia Tech in a competitive dual throughout.
Reigning ACC Wrestler of the Week Cole Matthews provided the biggest moment of the night, pinning No. 13 Tom Crook in a top-15 matchup at 141 pounds in sudden victory, marking his fifth straight win.
With the score 1-1 in overtime, Matthews earned a takedown that put Crook on his back and finished off the fall to send the Pitt fans into a frenzy and improve him to 4-0 in ACC dual matchups this season.
Holden Heller at 165 pounds and Mac Stout at 197 both defeated ranked opponents as well for the Panthers, while Colton Camacho at 125 and Finn Solomon at 149 each took top-five opponents down the final seconds in close individual matches.
"We lost some close ones tonight that could have swung the dual in our favor," said Pitt head coach Keith Gavin. "Our effort was way better than it was against UNC, but we have to be consistent with that focus, attitude and urgency, especially at this point in the season."
"Cole has always been an opportunistic wrestler, and we saw that tonight," Gavin said of Matthews. "When certain positions happen, he can pounce on it. But that result comes from him being locked in, which he has been for the past few weeks on this winning streak."
WINNER at 141 » THAT MAN AGAIN ??
— Pitt Wrestling (@Pitt_WRES) February 17, 2024
MATTHEWS STICKS CROOK IN SV ??
FITZ IS GOING CRAZY FOR COLE ??
A confident @ColeMatthews9 is the most dangerous man in the whole ??
ACCNX ?? https://t.co/FvpdZyD2w0 #H2P » #PINZBURGH pic.twitter.com/MtSivcbbUB
Full results from Friday's Pitt-Virginia Tech dual are available below.
Pitt concludes its home slate and regular season with a doubleheader on Thursday, Feb. 22 against Rider at 6 p.m. followed by Senior Night in the ACC finale versus Virginia on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
No. 13 Virginia Tech 26, No. 22 Pitt 12
184: T.J. Stewart (VT) dec. No. 9 Reece Heller (Pitt), 2-1 SV (VT leads, 3-0)
197: No. 16 Mac Stout (Pitt) dec. Dakota Howard (VT), 7-4 (Tied, 3-3)
285: No. 20 Hunter Catka (VT) tech fall Geoff Magin, 17-2 (4:53) (VT leads, 8-3)
125: No. 4 Cooper Flynn (VT) dec. Colton Camacho (Pitt), 3-2 (VT leads, 11-3)
133: No. 13 Sam Latona (VT) dec. No. 23 Vinnie Santaniello (Pitt), 6-4 (VT leads, 14-3)
141: No. 15 Cole Matthews (Pitt) pins No. 13 Tom Crook (VT), 8:13 SV (VT leads, 14-9)
149: No. 2 Caleb Henson (VT) dec. No. 29 Finn Solomon (Pitt), 10-6 (VT leads, 17-9)
157: Rafael Hipolito (VT) maj. Kelin Laffey (Pitt), 10-2 (VT leads, 21-9)
165: No. 13 Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. No. 21 Connor Brady (VT), 11-5 (VT leads, 21-12)
174: No. 2 Mehki Lewis (VT) tech fall Grant MacKay (Pitt), 19-4 (3:45) (VT wins, 26-12)
Attendance: 1,429
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