Brester, Dwyer Earn Senior Night Wins as Huskers Fall to No. 9 Oklahoma, 22-15

Lincoln - Behind a pair of bonus-point victories from seniors Craig Brester (197) and Stephen Dwyer (174), the Nebraska wrestling team jumped out to a 15-0 lead on No. 9 Oklahoma, but the Huskers (9-9, 0-2 Big 12) dropped the last six bouts and fell to the Sooners, 22-15, Thursday night at the Devaney Center.

Wrestling in front of a season-high 1,640 fans, Brester (24-0) and Dwyer (20-3) could not have performed better in their last home matches. Each delivered lasting impressions with powerful wins, as Brester dominated No. 6 Eric Lopotsky by an 18-2 technical fall, while Dwyer overcame a slow start with a seven-point third period to earn a 10-2 major decision over No. 18 Jeff James.

Along with early victories from redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen (184) and sophomore Tucker Lane (285), the bonus-point triumphs from NU's seniors gave the Huskers a 15-point advantage before OU fought back and eventually took its first lead on Nebraska's forfeit at 149 pounds. Nebraska came up against a tough Sooner lineup that included eight ranked wrestlers, although the Huskers defeated two and fell only by decision to three others.

Brester, ranked No. 2 in the nation, nailed down perhaps the best performance of his senior season with his technical fall over the sixth-ranked Lapotsky. The Howells, Neb., native left no doubt that he would go out a winner in his final home match, earning his first takedown just 15 seconds into the match. Brester then rolled Lapotsky over twice to gain a pair of three-point near falls and build an 8-0 lead after the first period. The worn-down Lapotsky did not last through the second period, as Brester picked up two takedowns and a third three-point near fall to end the match in 4 minutes, 46 seconds.

Beginning the dual at 174 pounds, Dwyer immediately put the Huskers on the board after battling through a slow start against the 18th-ranked James. The Rockton, Ill., native led just 3-2 after two periods until he worked his way to a takedown with 1 minute remaining, and then solidified the victory with a three-point near fall just 10 seconds before the final horn. While doing so, Dwyer moved a step closer to Nebraska's 100-win club, now sitting at 98-33 as a Husker.

Including a victory from Ihnen at 184 pounds, sophomore Tucker Lane rode the momentum to take a solid 6-3 victory from No. 12 Nathan Fernandez at Heavyweight. Like Brester, Lane went to work quickly by earning his first takedown 15 seconds into the match, then adding another just 58 seconds later to jump out to a 4-1 lead. It is the second time this season Lane defeated Hernandez after also doing so at the Las Vegas Invitational in December.

Ihnen's victory was his first in Big 12 action, and moves the redshirt freshman to 14-10, including a 10-8 mark in duals.

Four of Nebraska's six losses were by four points or less, including a near upset at 125 pounds when freshman David Klingsheim took No. 12 Jarrod Patterson to overtime, eventually falling 4-3.

The Huskers are competing in a stretch that will see NU take on five ranked opponents in the last four weeks of the regular season. That road continues next week when Nebraska travels to No. 3 Oklahoma State, facing the Cowboys on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

No. 9 Oklahoma 22, Nebraska 15
Feb. 4, 2010
Devaney Center
Lincoln, Neb.
Attendance: 1,640
174-#4 Stephen Dwyer (NU) by major decision over #18 Jeff James (OU), 10-2 (NU 4, OU 0)
184-Josh Ihnen (NU) by decision over Erich Schmidtke (OU), 5-1 (NU 7, OU 0)
197-#2 Craig Brester (NU) by technical fall over #6 Eric Lapotsky (OU), 18-2 (NU 12, OU 0)
285-#19 Tucker Lane (NU) by decision over #12 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3 (NU 15, OU 0)
125-#12 Jarrod Patterson (OU) wins by decision over David Klingsheim (NU), 4-3 (NU 15, OU 3)
133-Kendric Maple (OU) wins by decision over C.J. Napier (NU), 4-0 (NU 15, OU 6)
141-#3 Zack Bailey (OU) by major decision over Mike Koehnlein (NU), 12-4 (NU 15, OU 10)
149-#3 Kyle Terry by forfeit (OU 16, NU 15)
157-#12 Shane Vernon (OU) by decision over Tyler Koehn (NU), 2-0 (OU 19, NU 15)
165-#16 Tyler Caldwell (OU) wins by decision over James Nakashima (NU), 3-0 (OU 22, NU 15)

Play-by-Play
174-#4 Stephen Dwyer (NU) by major decision over #18 Jeff James (OU), 10-2
First Period...0:12, Dwyer takedown, 2-0...Second Period...James chooses down...1:00, James reversal, 2-2...0:45, Dwyer escape, 3-2...Third Period...Dwyer chooses down...1:50, Dwyer escape, 4-2...1:00, Dwyer takedown, 6-2...0:10, Dwyer 3-pt near fall, 9-2...Dwyer one-point riding time advantage, 1:49, 10-2

NU 4, OU 0

184-Josh Ihnen (NU) by decision over Erich Schmidtke (OU), 5-1
First Period...0:41, Ihnen takedown, 2-0...Second Period...Schmidtke chooses down...0:32, Schmidtke escape, 2-1...Third Period...Ihnen chooses down...1:48, Schmidtke stalling, 3-1...1:45, Ihnen escape, 4-1...Ihnen riding time advantage, 1:53, 5-1

NU 7, OU 0

197-#2 Craig Brester (NU) by technical fall over #6 Eric Lapotsky (OU), 18-2
First Period...2:45, Brester takedown, 2-0...2:27, Brester 3-pt near fall, 5-0...0:31, Brester 3-pt near fall, 8-0...Second Period...Brester chooses down...1:52, Brester escape, 9-0...1:29, Brester takedown, 11-0...0:58, Lapotsky escape, 11-1...0:42, Brester takedown, 13-1...0:40, Lapotsky escape, 13-2...0:29, Brester takedown, 15-2...0:14, Brester 3-pt near fall, 18-2...

NU 12, OU 0

285-#19 Tucker Lane (NU) by decision over #12 Nathan Fernandez (OU), 6-3
First Period...2:45, Lane takedown, 2-0...1:51, Fernandez escape, 2-1...0:53, Lane takedown, 4-1...0:42, Fernandez escape, 4-2...Second Period...Lane chooses down...1:57, Lane escape, 5-2...Third Period...Fernandez chooses down...1:39, Fernandez escape, 5-3...Lane riding time advantage, 1:23, 6-3

NU 15, OU 0

125-#12 Jarrod Patterson (OU) wins by decision over David Klingsheim (NU), 4-3
First Period...0:48, Patterson takedown, 2-0...Second Period...Klingsheim chooses down...1:53, Klingsheim escape, 2-1...Third Period...Patterson chooses neutral...0:38, Klingsheim takedown, 3-2...0:24, Patterson esacpe, 3-3...1:00 Overtime...First 30-second Overtime...Patterson chooses down...0:24, Patterson escape, 3-4...Second 30-second Overtime...Klingsheim chooses down...

NU 15, OU 3

133-Kendric Maple (OU) wins by decision over C.J. Napier (NU), 4-0
First Period...2:47, Maple takedown, 2-0...Second Period...Maple chooses down...1:58, Maple escape, 3-0...Third Period...Napier chooses neutral...Maple riding time advantage, 2:46, 4-0

NU 15, OU 6

141-#3 Zack Bailey (OU) by major decision over Mike Koehnlein (NU), 12-4
First Period...2:00, Bailey takedown, 2-0...1:33, Koehnlein escape, 2-1...0:44, Bailey takedown, 4-1...0:34, Koehnlein escape, 4-2...0:27, Bailey takedown, 6-2...Second Period...Bailey chooses down...1:54, Bailey escape, 7-2...0:24, Bailey takedown, 9-2...Third Period...Koehnlein chooses down...1:58, Koehnlein escape, 9-3...1:32, Bailey takedown, 11-3...1:17, Koehnlein escape, 11-4...Bailey riding time advantage, 1:43, 12-4

NU 15, OU 10

149-#3 Kyle Terry by forfeit

OU 16, NU 15

157-#12 Shane Vernon (OU) by decision over Tyler Koehn (NU), 2-0
First Period...Second Period...Vernon chooses down...1:54, Vernon escape, 1-0...Third Period...Koehn chooses down...Vernon riding time advantage, 1:56, 2-0

OU 19, NU 15

165-#16 Tyler Caldwell (OU) wins by decision over James Nakashima (NU), 3-0
First Period...Second Period...Caldwell chooses down...1:54, Caldwell escape, 1-0...Third Period...Nakashima chooses down...0:53, Nakashima caution point, 2-0...Caldwell riding time advantage, 1:54, 3-0

OU 22, NU 15