PEMBROKE – Visiting Coker used Derrick Booth's 5-2 decision at 165 pounds to forge a 15-8 lead, but the 14th-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team won each of the final four matches of the evening to register a 20-15 win over the upset-minded Cobras on Wednesday evening in the English E. Jones Center.
The Braves (6-2) have now won 17 of their last 19 dual matches dating back to December 2013, including both series matchups with Coker. The setback snapped a four-match win streak for the Cobras (10-2) whose only other loss this season was to 12th-ranked Newberry.
Coker grabbed each of the night's first two matches, including Derrick Nelson's first-period (1:44) pin of Quan Le at 133 pounds, to stake claim to an early 9-0 advantage, but Daniel Ownbey got the Braves on the board a short time later with a dominant 17-5 major decision over RaSean McArthur. Rashad Cunningham got the visitors back on track with an 11-4 decision over newcomer Hayden Fry in the 149-pound bout, but Reggie Allen helped the hosts chop into their deficit once again with a 12-2 major decision over Derrick Rothermel at 157 pounds.
Booth took down a determined Joe Remaklus in the 165-pound match to pad Coker's lead back out to seven points, but Terrence Zaleski sparked a comeback for UNCP in the 174-pound contest when he rallied back from an early 5-2 deficit to slip by Rocco Hladney, 12-11. Mikey Thomas pulled out an overtime win over Luis Peguero at 184 pounds to pull the Black & Gold to within two points, before Stuart Nadeau gave his team the lead for good on the shoulders of a 4-2 decision over Robert Parland in the 197-pound bout.
Chris Giddens sealed the outcome with a 5-2 win over John Allen Griswold in a battle of the heavyweights.
The Braves will be back in action again on Thursday when they make the short trip up U.S. 74 to take on St. Andrews (6-6) on Harris Court. Wrestling action is slated to get underway at 7 p.m.
No. 14 UNC Pembroke 20, Coker 15
125: Mikel Nelson (CC) dec. Caison Scott (UNCP) D 9-3
133: Derrick Nelson (CC) pinned Quan Le (UNCP) F 1:44
141: No. 2 Daniel Ownbey (UNCP) maj. dec. RaSean McArthur (CC) M 17-5
149: Rashad Cunningham (CC) dec. Hayden Fry (UNCP) D 11-4
157: Reggie Allen (UNCP) maj. dec. Derrick Rothermel (CC) M 12-2
165: Derrick Booth (CC) dec. Joe Remaklus (UNCP) D 5-2
174: No. 4 Terrence Zaleski (UNCP) dec. Rocco Hladney (CC) D 12-11
184: Mikey Thomas (UNCP) dec. Luis Peguero (CC) TB-1 4-3
197: Stuart Nadeau (UNCP) dec. Robert Parland (CC) D 4-2
285: Chris Giddens (UNCP) dec. John Allen Griswold (CC) D 5-2
Exh (133): Arie Freeman (UNCP) pinned Varlee Kelleh (CC) F 4:39
Exh (285): Alex Green (CC) dec. Danny Berrier (UNCP) D 3-2
Starting Weight: 125
Records: Coker 11-2; UNC Pembroke 6-2
