Indiana wins back-and-forth battle at Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Indiana Hoosiers and the Northwestern Wildcats squared off on dual meet action on Friday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Indiana closed out a back-and-forth meet for a 23-14 win, securing the Hoosiers' first Big Ten dual win of the season. The Hoosiers (8-5, 1-3) won 6-of-10 bouts to secure the win, and pushed the pace with three bonus point victories.

The best sight of the night came after the intermission. With the Hoosiers trailing the meet 11-10 after five matches, Elijah Oliver (125) took the mat for his first competitive match since December 18. The sophomore utilized a breakneck pace in the first period to secure a 10-5 decision.

Oliver's (10-3) win gave IU the 13-11 dual lead, but the Wildcats took back the advantage with Jason Ipsarides' win against Garrett Pepple (133). After that, the Hoosiers closed the meet with back-to-back-to-back bout wins, culminating in Jake Danishek's (157) 14-6 major decision.

Weaver (141) scored his first Big Ten dual victory of the season with an 8-2 decision over Alec McKenna. The sophomore made his move in the second period, Blanking McKenna with a takedown and a stall point, before closing with a reversal and the riding time point in the third period. Chris Perez (149) followed with a 4-3 decision win that came down to his tiebreaking short time takedown in the second period.

Danishek's major decision, his fourth of the year, was a will-imposing display by the 19th-ranked sophomore. He scored six takedowns, three in the first period, to take his third Big Ten dual win of the year.

Bonus point wins from Devin Skatzka (174) and No. 6 Nate Jackson (184) kept Indiana within one point at intermission. Skatzka (20-6) erased Northwestern's 3-0 lead in 1:55, picking up his 10th pin of the season in the first period. The freshman had a 6-2 lead before seeking an opportunity for back points, but found a quick out at center mat.

Jackson followed Skatzka's win with the most anticipated bout of the evening -- his rematch with Northwestern's No. 18 Mitch Sliga. The pair met in the championship bracket at midlands and Jackson took a major decision win. This time around, Jackson delivered a déjà vu moment with another major decision on Sliga, 12-3.

For the 21st time this season, Jackson (23-2) didn't give up a takedown. He notched a pair of drops in the first period to hold a 5-1 lead, and continued with an escape, a takedown, and a ride-out in the second. Two more drops in the third brought Jackson's season total to 107 takedowns and secured his 16th victory with bonus points.

The dual win snaps a five-meet losing streak to Northwestern, and it's Indiana's first dual win at Welsh-Ryan Arena in six years.

Up Next: Indiana (8-5, 1-3) vs. No. 5 Nebraska (11-1, 5-1)
Sunday, January 29 • 2 p.m. ET • Live on BTN2Go.com • TrackWrestling
University Gymnasium • Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana returns to Bloomington with their first Big Ten dual win of the year, but they'll spare the celebration. The Hoosiers have short time to prepare for their toughest home dual of the season to-date as they host the fifth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Nebraska rolls a stout lineup into University Gymnasium, featuring seven ranked grapplers and four in the national top-five. The marquee match -- No. 6 Nate Jackson against No. 3 T.J. Dudley -- has been on the calendar since their semifinal bout at No. Midlands54. Dudley won a 10-6 decision in that contest.

Elsewhere, Hoosiers and Huskers will reacquaint with one another for the first time in a dual setting. No. 19 Elijah Oliver faces a second encounter with No. 5 Tim Lambert, a rematch from the Big Ten Championships last season. At 174 lbs., No. 17 Devin Skatzka meets Micah Barnes after Skatzka's first period pin in the Midlands wrestle-backs.

The match will air live via BTN Plus on BTN2Go.com. Fans can also follow the action on TrackWrestling or on Twitter @IUWrestling.

Results:
165 Johnny Sebastian (14-6) maj. dec. Bryce Martin (12-5) 14-4 NU 4, IU 0
174 Devin Skatzka (20-6) pinned Braxton Cody (0-9) 1:55 IU 6, NU 4
184 No. 6 Nate Jackson (23-2) maj. dec. No. 18 Mitch Sliga (15-5) 12-3 IU 10, NU 4
197 Jacob Berkowitz (19-6) dec. Norman Conley (8-8) 5-0 IU 10, NU 7
285 Conan Jennings (15-7) maj, dec. Fletcher Miller (7-13) 8-0 NU 11, IU 10
125 Elijah Oliver (10-3) dec. Anthony Rubinetti (9-10) 10-5 IU 13, NU 11
133 Jason Ipsarides (9-8) dec. Garrett Pepple (10-7) 8-1 NU 14, IU 13
141 Cole Weaver (8-11) dec. Alec McKenna (7-11) 8-2 IU 16, NU 14
149 Chris Perez (8-4) dec. Shayne Oster (9-8) 4-3 IU 19, NU 14
157 Jake Danishek (17-7) maj. dec. Ben Sullivan (4-13) 14-6 IU 23, NU 14