Grapplers fold vs. OU
Missouri wrestler Nick Marable grapples with Oklahoma’s Tyler Caldwell as MU gymnast Alex Gold does her floor exercise.
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With the ninth-ranked Oklahoma wrestling team in town, the Missouri Tigers couldn’t just sit there and take it.
WRESTLING
Oklahoma 25, MU 10
Well, yeah, that’s what they did.
The No. 15 Tigers got dominated in the lighter weights — going five straight matches without so much as a takedown, with two of their wrestlers getting shut out — in a 25-10 loss last night in the Hearnes Center as part of the annual Beauty and the Beast event.
“I wasn’t happy, the way we wrestled,” MU Coach Brian Smith said. “Our lighter weights just aren’t very good right now.”
The Tigers (7-5, 1-1 Big 12) got a 3-1 decision from heavyweight Mark Ellis to begin the night but didn’t score again until 165-pounder Nick Marable finished an 8-5 decision. Max Askren scored a 15-5 major decision at 197.
With a chance to make a statement not just in the Big 12, but nationally — and with today’s 1 p.m. dual against No. 4 Oklahoma State looming — the outcome caught some of the Tigers by surprise.
“I’m really not happy with the way I wrestled or any of our guys wrestled,” said Ellis, who is expected to be in the lineup today against Oklahoma State’s top-ranked Jared Rosholt. “I don’t know what happened, but, I don’t know, all we can do is keep going. We’ve got to keep plugging away and see what happens.
“I’m not happy with it, and I was kind of surprised. I didn’t expect this, really.”
Oklahoma improved to 14-2-1, 2-1-1.
Reach Matt Nestor at 573-815-1786 or e-mail mnestor@columbiatribune.com.
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