ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Third ranked Loras used bonus points in five matches en route to a 32-9 non-conference wrestling victory over 11^th rated Augustana on Thursday, December 7 in the Carver Center. The matchup between two teams ranked in the top 15 of the latest D3Wrestle.com national poll was tipped in favor of the Duhawks thanks in part to bonus points in five of the seven matches the visitors won.
 
Junior Travis Pulse (Davenport Assumption HS, Milan, Ill.) got Augustana off to a great start with an 8-2 win over Matt Randone at 125 pounds. Pulse was down early in this contest after giving up a first period takedown but he rallied to score eight straight points and move his record to 9-4 on the year.
 
Loras won close contests at the next two weight classes as ninth ranked Michael Triplett held off Viking freshman Josh Diel (Oskaloosa HS, Oskaloosa, Iowa) 3-2 at 133 and Kevin Kelly beat Augustana's 15^th ranked Brendan Gould (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) 4-2 at 141 pounds.
 
The Duhawks would win a total of five straight matches between 133 and 165 pounds and they picked up bonus points at 149, 157 and 165. Jimmy Davis, the second ranked wrestler in the nation at 149 pounds had a technical fall (19-1) win over junior Freddy Terranova (Jackson Memorial HS, Jackson, N.J.) at 149. The Vikings Matt Sears (Marist HS, New Lenox, Ill.) was pinned just :16 into overtime after tying his 157 pound match against Merrick Purcell late in the third period. At 165 pounds Eddie Smith of Loras won by technical fall (24-6) over Josh Bush at 6:13 of the match.
 
Senior Trace Timmons (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa), ranked 14^th in the country, beat 17^th ranked Sam Schuler 5-2 at 174 pounds to move his record to 9-3.
 
After Loras picked up technical falls at both 184 and 197 pounds, second ranked sophomore Adarios Jones (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) closed the match with a 2-1 win for the Vikings over number eight Quin Gilliam 2-1. Jones is now 9-0 on the season.
 
Augustana is now 1-3 on the season while Loras improves to 5-0. The Vikings are in action again on Saturday, December 9 at the North Central Invitational in Naperville, Illinois.
 
INDIVIDUAL WEIGHT CLASS RESULTS
125: Travis Pulse (Augustana) dec. Matt Randone (Loras) 8-2
133: #9 Michael Triplett (Loras) dec. Josh Diehl (Augustana) 3-2
141: Kevin Kelly (Loras) def. #15 Brendan Gould (Augustana) 4-2
149: #2 Jimmy Davis (Loras) tech. fall (20-1) Freddy Terranova (Augustana) @ 6:20
157: Merrick Purcell (Loras) pinned Matt Sears (Augustana) @ 7:16 (1^st OT)
165: #19 Eddie Smith (Loras) tech. fall (24-6) Josh Bush (Augustana) @ 6:13
174: #14 Trace Timmons (Augustana) def. #17 Sam Schuler (Loras) 5-2
184: #15 Awais Arain (Loras) tech. fall (17-0) Tavian Cervantez (Augustana) @ 4:31
197: #3 Guy Patron (Loras) tech. fall (19-3) Trystyn Schoonover (Augustana) @ 4:39
285: #2 Adarios Jones (Augustana) 2, #8 Quin Gilliam (Loras) 1