After losing to No. 5 Iowa State, Mizzou wrestling eyes Big 12 Tournament title in Tulsa
The Big 12 Conference doesn't award a regular-season wrestling champion, but the winner of Wednesday's Missouri-Iowa State dual still came away with something.
No. 5 vs. No. 9 at the Hearnes Center produced the team atop the Big 12 standings.
After nine years dominating the Mid-American Conference, ninth-ranked Missouri wrestling had a chance to reclaim its spot atop the conference it last won in 2012.
"It's definitely what I expected," Tigers redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Kent said. "I don't want to say a whole new ballgame, but it's definitely tougher."
The dual came down to Missouri's Zach Elam in the heavyweight match against Iowa State's Sam Schuyler, with Elam needing a major decision to tie or tech fall to win.
Elam would win his match, but Missouri fell one point short in the dual, losing 17-16.
That marked the end of Missouri's regular season, as the Tigers went 8-2 in Big 12 duals. Back in the conference after a near-decade absence but finishing in second place in the standings, head coach Brian Smith was hungry for more.
"Just disappointing to lose a match that way," Smith said. "It's not just one match, there was a lot of opportunities through there."
Ranked wins from Missouri's Kent, Noah Surtin, Keegan O'Toole and Peyton Mocco were countered by two major-decision losses and one sudden-death defeat. Those slight differences led to the best team in the Big 12 slipping out of Columbia with a win. The MAC was much more forgiving.
"In the MAC, you'd have a good opponent and maybe a decent team," Kent said.
If the Tigers wanted to finish atop the Big 12 regular-season standings, they were going to need another comeback to beat Iowa State — much like the one Missouri recently pulled off against No. 10 Oklahoma State.
The Tigers were down 14-3 heading into the 165-pound match where O'Toole overpowered Isaac Judge. No. 1-ranked O'Toole won by major decision, and Mocco followed that with a 9-6 win over Joel Devine at 174.
That made the score 14-10 heading into Kent's match at 184.
Kent electrified Hearnes with a takedown when he sent Iowa State's Marcus Coleman to the mat to go up 6-0 in his match. He led 7-2 going into the third period. Kent upset No. 7 Coleman 10-7 to pull Missouri within 14-13 with two bouts left.
That brought Rocky Elam to the mat at 197. Rocky faced Iowa State's Yonger Bastida, which was a scoreless stalemate after the first period. Rocky got a hold on Bastida, earned an escape point and eventually earned two points for a takedown.
Bastida had earned 83 total points in his past four matches. Holding him scoreless was a feat. Rocky held Bastida without a point until a two-point takedown in the third period.
Rocky led 5-2 after that takedown, but Bastida would make it 6-5 with nine seconds remaining and tie it at 6 to force sudden death. Bastida would win the match with a takedown and put Iowa State up 17-13.
Major decisions at 157 and 141 provided separation for the Cyclones. They are No. 5 in the nation for a reason, as Iowa States' Ian Parker is ranked No. 10 at 141 and David Carr is ranked No. 1 at 157.
It came down to Rocky's older brother, Zach, at heavyweight. Zach led the Cyclones' Schyuler 1-0 heading into the third period and held that slim lead with 20 seconds left.
Schyuler kept that deficit, and despite losing, secured the team win for Iowa State.
"We're getting more and better competition," Kent said. "It's just really, really humbling."
The Tigers may not have finished atop the conference standings, but the Big 12 Tournament in Tulsa is a chance for Missouri to officially claim the championship.
"It's a good year up to this point," Smith said. "It's the money round."
Missouri finished one win from the top of the standings in its first Big 12 regular season since 2012. That step-up in competition has included facing five nationally ranked opponents as part of league play.
MU will see the best the conference has to offer in the league tournament March 5-6.
"I'm just excited for this team to go back and compete," Smith said. "That's the next thing on our plate."
Smith has been encouraged by his star wrestlers like O'Toole, Surtin and Mocco. Mocco's return from injury was encouraging in his second match back, Smith said.
Smith was also encouraged by performances from Ethan Turner and Josh Edmond in losses. Those performances and close matches are why Smith believes Missouri can win the Big 12.
The Tigers went toe-to-toe with a top team in the nation and were close to pulling off the upset.
Over the next two weeks, Missouri will look to find a way to pull it off in Tulsa.
"I just know it's little things," Smith said. "We got to get better and we can win the Big 12."
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 435-414-3261.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: After loss to Iowa State, Mizzou wrestling eyes Big 12 Tournament
