Panthers Rally to Victory: A Thrilling 25-17 Triumph Over West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl!

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Backyard Brawl indeed lived up to its name as the 18th-ranked Panthers surged back to clinch the final four contests and overcome No. 22 West Virginia, 25-17, at the WVU Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers notched 16 points across the last four matches, turning the tide after trailing the Mountaineers 17-9 following the initial six encounters. West Virginia opened the dual with impressive momentum, taking the first three matches, including consecutive major decision wins, to seize an 11-0 advantage.

Freshman Kade Brown marked the Panthers’ first points by winning the 149-pound bout, overpowering Sam Hillegas by a 21-11 major decision. Brown displayed aggression from the outset with an early takedown to establish a 3-0 lead. Hillegas rallied to equalize the match at 4-4, but Brown executed another takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the first period, taking a 7-4 lead. He added two more takedowns for a 13-6 advantage heading into the last round and continued his assault, scoring two additional takedowns and a reversal as time expired.

Redshirt-freshman Dylan Evans sustained the Panthers’ momentum with a commanding 21-6 technical fall victory over Sasha Gavronsky at 157, narrowing the Panthers’ deficit to 11-9. Evans launched his attack with a takedown within the first 44 seconds of the bout, concluding the opening period with a 3-1 edge. He dominated the remainder of the match, securing a takedown followed by a near fall to lead 12-3 early in the second period. Evans tallied three additional takedowns in the last minute to clinch the win with just one second left on the clock in the second round.

No. 18 Luca Augustine and No. 18 Reece Heller delivered consecutive hard-fought victories at 174 and 184, respectively, preventing the Mountaineers from running away with the contest. Augustine edged No. 29 Brody Conley with a score of 4-2, while Heller overcame No. 16 Dennis Robin with an 11-4 decision.

Pitt took a 19-17 lead following the 197-pound match as No. 12 Mac Stout maintained his winning streak with a dominant 13-3 major decision against Ian Bush. Stout wasted no time, securing a takedown in the match’s first 20 seconds. At the end of the second round, Stout held a 9-3 lead, showcasing control throughout with over two minutes of riding time.

No. 14 Dayton Pitzer capped off the dual with a pin against Michael Wolfgram in the final match at 285. Similar to Stout, Pitzer scored immediately in the bout, leading 3-1 after the first period. He dominated with over three minutes of riding time entering the second period and led 6-2 before pinning Wolgram at the 5:33 mark.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will continue their road journey as they head to Bucknell on Friday, Jan. 17 (ESPN+ – 6 P.M.).

No. 18 Pitt 25, No. 22 West Virginia 17

125: Jett Strickenberger (WVU) maj. dec. No. 17 Nick Babin (Pitt), 9-0 (WVU leads 4-0)

133: Mason Kernan (WVU) maj. dec. Matt Marlow (Pitt), 12-1 (WVU leads 8-0)

141: No. 29 Jordan Titus (WVU) dec. No. 31 Anthony Santaniello (Pitt), 3-1 (WVU leads 11-0)

149: Kade Brown (Pitt) maj. dec. Sam Hillegas (WVU), 21-11 (WVU leads 11-4)

157: No. 22 Dylan Evans (Pitt) tech. fall Sasha Gavronsky (WVU), 21-6 (4:59) (WVU leads 11-9)

165: No. 3 Peyton Hall (WVU) fall Jared Keslar (Pitt), 2:46 (WVU leads 17-9)

174: No. 18 Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. No. 29 Brody Conley (WVU), 4-2 (WVU leads 17-12)

184: No. 18 Reece Heller (Pitt) dec. No. 16 Dennis Robin (WVU), 11-4 (WVU leads 17-15)

197: No. 12 Mac Stout (Pitt) maj. dec. Ian Bush (WVU), 13-3 (Pitt leads 19-17)

285: No. 14 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) fall Michael Wolfgram (WVU), (5:33) (Pitt wins 25-17)