The NU Coliseum was anything but quiet Saturday night.
Among 3,252 eager fans surrounding the wrestling mat, the No. 2-ranked Cornhuskers took charge against No. 11 Missouri. While NU scored a team total of 22 points, it held the Tigers to just 13.
NU Coach Mark Manning said the dual was full of tough matches but added that it wasn't much different than a typical wrestling match.
"This sport is a street fight with rules," Manning said. "There were some hard battles out there (Saturday)."
Opening up the dual, NU's No. 6-ranked Brandon Browne finished his match with a total of six takedowns, winning with a major decision and putting the Huskers on the board first. During the eighth match, No. 7 Jordan Burroughs won with the riding time advantage to score a major decision for the Huskers as well.
Throughout the night, matches were forced into overtime at 133-, 141- and 165 pounds. NU junior No. 8 Kenny Jordan and NU junior Mike Rowe both won in sudden victory with one takedown each. Both Huskers won by two points.
At the start of the 197-pound match, the team's scores were tied with four points. NU's No.10 junior Craig Brester was up to wrestle against No.9 Maxwell Askren of Missouri. Competition was heated for the full three periods, as the score was neck-and-neck. With only four seconds left in the match, Askren scored a controversial takedown, sparking an upsetting roar from the pro-Nebraska stands.
The highest scorer of the night was fourth-ranked NU junior Paul Donahoe. In the first three minutes, Donahoe scored two nearfalls and two takedowns. With 1:26 left, Donahoe scored his last takedown, causing a technical fall and an automatic win. He received a point for the riding time advantage to end with a final score of 19-3 and added five points for the Huskers.
Manning said the team performed very well. One who stood out was No. 20 senior Jon May. In the heavyweight match, May upset No. 11 Mark Ellis by a 3-2 decision. With 35 seconds remaining in the match, May managed a takedown to assure the win.
Manning said his comeback was critical in the match.
"Jon May showed a lot of heart to come back like he did," Manning said. "It was good to see that."
May said the crowd's enthusiasm made the dual much more enjoyable and the team was able to feed off the energy and momentum. He said he couldn't remember the last time he wrestled in front of such a large crowd. The momentum it brought helped push the Huskers for the win, he said.
"It was a lot of fun," May said. "It was nice to see everybody."
danaahrens@dailynebraskan.com
