Oklahoma State wrestling: No. 11 Cowboys rally after Boo Lewallen’s loss for 26-6 win vs. No. 24 Missouri

Top-ranked Boo Lewallen suffered his first loss of the season at 149 pounds in No. 11 Oklahoma State’s 26-6 win against No. 24 Missouri on Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Lewallen built a 3-0 lead after two periods, but No. 5 Brock Mauller escaped 18 seconds into the third then scored a late takedown off a counter to tie it 3-3 to force sudden sudden victory. Mauller (21-1) needed less than 20 seconds to win it with a double-leg takedown for a 5-3 win against Lewallen, who fell to 15-1 this season.

The Cowboys (10-2, 5-1 Big 12) won the next six bouts by decision, including two in tiebreakers, to improve to 6-0 at home.

Allan Hart had the other win for Missouri (10-6, 7-0 Mid-American Conference) with a 11-7 victory with riding time against Reece Witcraft at 133. Hart built an 8-0 first-period lead on a takedown and two turns, but Witcraft rallied to eliminate the major decision with an escape, a stalling point and two takedowns.

Fourth-ranked Nick Piccininni put OSU up 5-0 with a 20-5 technical fall in full time against Cameron Valdiviez at 125. Piccininni scored two takedowns in each of the first two periods then had two four-point turns on a cradle and tilt in the third for his 20th win this season.

Dusty Hone racked up four takedowns and more than two minutes of riding time for a 9-3 win against Alex Butler for an 8-3 OSU lead.

Wyatt Sheets started the Cowboys’ six straight wins with an 8-6 upset victory in tiebreaker one against No. 10 Jarrett Jacques at 157.

Tied 2-2 after the second, Jacques escaped and won a scramble for a 5-2 lead but Sheets returned the favor with an escape and a duck under takedown in the final 15 seconds to send the match to sudden victory at 5-5. Jacques escaped from bottom in his 30-second tiebreaker then Sheets did the same in his and spun around for a takedown to win and give OSU an 11-6 lead at the break.

Eighth-ranked Travis Wittlake made it 14-6 with an 11-6 win against Peyton Mocco at 165. Wittlake got a takedown in each of the first two periods, a two-point turn in the second then an escape and reversal in the third for his team-leading 22nd victory this season.

At 174, No. 11 Joe Smith rallied from an early 4-0 deficit for a 12-6 victory over Connor Flynn. Smith gave up an escape and was hit for a technical violation for pulling Flynn’s headgear to tie it 6-6, but Smith scored a takedown and four-point nearfall in the final seconds.

Anthony Montalvo and No. 11 Dakota Geer won their bouts at 184 and 197 for a 23-6 to clinch the dual.

Montalvo fought off a cradle attempt in the first then pushed the pace the rest of the match for a 9-5 win against Dylan Wisman. Tied 4-4 early in the second, Montalvo forced a stall call then scored a double-leg seconds on the boundary line in front of the OSU corner and fended off Wisman in the third.

Geer escaped twice and forced a stall point against Wyatt Koelling in the second along with a takedown in each period to secure a 10-5 win.

After weighing in three wrestlers at heavyweight, including football player Brock Martin, OSU head coach went with Cornelius Putnam and it worked with a 3-2 win against Jake Bohlken in tiebreaker two. Bohlken and Putnam each escaped in the first tiebreaker then the Cowboy rode out the second tiebreaker and fended off Bohlken’s attacks after a neutral start for his first win this season.

What’s next

The Cowboys have a Big 12 doubleheader next Saturday at Air Force (3-4, 1-3) and Wyoming (7-7, 3-1). OSU faces the Falcons at noon in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then heads north to wrestle Laramie, Wyoming, at 7 p.m. The Cowboy Showdown will be at UW’s basketball arena, Arena-Auditorium, and be broadcasted on FloWrestling.

No. 11 Oklahoma State 26, No. 24 Missouri 6

125: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (OSU) TF Cameron Valdiviez (MIZ), 20-5 in 7:00

133: Allan Hart (MIZ) DEC Reece Witcraft (OSU), 11-7

141: Dusty Hone (OSU) DEC. Alex Butler (MIZ), 9-3

149: No. 5 Brock Mauller (MIZ) DEC No. 1 Boo Lewallen (OSU), 3-1 SV1

157: Wyatt Sheets (OSU) DEC No. 10 Jarrett Jacques (MIZ), 8-6 TB1

165: No. 8 Travis Wittlake (OSU) DEC Peyton Mocco (MIZ), 11-6

174: No. 11 Joe Smith (OSU) DEC Connor Flynn (MIZ), 12-6

184: Anthony Montalvo (OSU) DEC. Dylan Wisman (MIZ), 9-5

197: No. 11 Dakota Geer (OSU) DEC. Wyatt Koelling (MIZ), 10-5

285: Cornelius Putnam (OSU) DEC. Jake Bohlken (MIZ), 3-2 TB2