The Bobcats broke into the win column against Eastern Michigan in hopes of climbing the MAC standings.
Ohio broke into the Mid-American Conference win column on Sunday, winning against Eastern Michigan 20-15. The win boosted the Bobcats record to 5-4 on the season, and 1-3 in the MAC.
The Bobcats came out of the gate hot, earning major decisions by 165-pound redshirt senior No. 19 Harrison Hightower and 174-pound redshirt junior No. 10 Cody Walters, his 16th straight victory, putting the Eagles in an 8-0 hole.
Eastern Michigan’s loss dropped it to 7-6, and 0-2 in the MAC.
Coach Joel Greenlee was pleased with the beginning of the match saying it was “huge” for his team to start well.
“We wanted to get the momentum going, and we wanted to make a statement right off the bat,” Greenlee said. “We wanted to make a conscious effort to get bonus points.”
Walters record of 22-1 will have him continuing to climb the rankings, in hopes of returning to the national tournament after spending much of last season injured.
184-pound redshirt junior Andrew Romanchik and 197-pound redshirt junior No. 17 Phil Wellington followed the major decisions by earning victories by decision, raising the Bobcats lead to 14-0.
The Eagles would rally winning three of the next four matches, eventually cutting the Ohio lead to 17-12. However, 149-pound redshirt junior No. 10 Tywan Claxton ended any chance of an Eagle victory earning a victory of his own by decision.
The Eagles would claim the final matchup, but their last ditch effort fell short.
Claxton, who raised his record to 21-2, is also looking for a return to the NCAA tournament of his own.
Greenlee described the match plainly.
“We won the matches we needed to,” he said.
The win was a much needed victory for the Bobcats, as the team had dropped its last two dual matches, and the last three of four.
The Bobcats will look for this match as a springboard to help them gain momentum as the season draws to a close.
Ohio will take to the road once again on Friday for another MAC matchup to face off against Northern Illinois. They will return back to the Convocation Center next Sunday, at 1 P.M. for a dual meet against Buffalo.
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