Williamsburg, KY – In their first Mid-South Conference dual and home opener, the #7 Patriots took down #13 Lindsey Wilson (6-4, 1-1), in a 28-21 matchup. Cumberlands move to 11-4 overall and 1-0 within the conference. #5 Bryce Nickel, Derrick Bannister, and Chandlar Akins led UC with six points each from pinning their opponents. The Patriots tallied three falls and two technical falls, with 11 3-point takedowns, three 4-point nearfalls, and 14 escapes.

Graduate student and team leader #5 Bryce Nickel commented on the win, "…Tonight we showed acts of grit, courage, and love for one another. Everyone was into it, and we got the job done. We definitely have things to improve on…but for now we are headed in the right direction."

With the Patriots trailing 0-3, the first wrestler to score points for the Pats was Chandlar Akins, in the 133-weight class. The senior recorded a 3-point takedown in the first period, and pinned Colin Noel (Lindsey Wilson) at the 1:38 mark, taking the score to 6-3.

#5 Bryce Nickel, competing in the 149-bout, helped UC regain a 12-7 lead after falling behind in the 141 matchup. With a 3-point takedown in the first period over Drake Montelongo (Lindsey Wilson), Nickel collected a fall at 1:17.
At 157, Derrick Bannister defeated Brandon Irigoyen (Lindsey Wilson) with the third fall of the dual, at the 6:42 mark in overtime. The senior fought for a 3-point takedown in the first period, an escape in both the second and third periods, and ultimately for a vital 3-point takedown in overtime to secure his win.

In the 165-bout, #13 O'Brian Black notched a strong 17-2 technical fall over Jesus Avila (Lindsey Wilson). He recorded a 3-point takedown and a 4-point nearfall in the first period, a 3-point takedown in the second, followed by an escape and two more 3-point takedowns in the third, helping the Pats lead 23-10.

#21 Tobias Garrison wrestled and beat John Sexton (Lindsey Wilson) in a 17-2 technical fall, in the 184-weight class. The senior scored all 17 of his points in the first period by tallying three 3-point takedowns and a 4-point nearfall. He extended UC's lead to 28-10 and would be the last Patriot wrestler to score.

Cumberlands will travel to the Missouri Valley Invite for their next competition. Hosted in Marshall, Missouri, they will wrestle on Friday January 19^th and Saturday January 20^th, beginning at 11 a.m. CT.

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