UC Davis jumps to early lead, holds on for win over Bakersfield
Saturday, January 27th, 2007 CSUB Sports Information News Release

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Cal State Bakersfield fell behind big early, lost every close match, and dropped one key match in the final seconds which proved to be too much to overcome as UC Davis topped the Roadrunners 23-16 at the Icardo Center on Saturday.

The Aggies won six of the first seven matches before Bakersfield took the final three to make the score respectable. It was UC Davis’ first-ever win in Bakersfield and just the second against the Roadrunners in 12 meetings.

The match started at 125 with Marcos Orozco knocking off Brandon Zoetewey 5-4. Orozco led 4-0 after two periods before a clear difference in fitness levels took over and Zoetewey began to take control. Orozco chose neutral to start the third period, and after a stalling warning against the Davis wrestler, Zoetewey earned a takedown, then cut his wrestler and took him down again with 13 seconds left in the match.

But it was too late to earn another point and UC Davis took the early lead.

It seemed to go that way all night for Bakersfield. At 133, Omar Gaitan had little problems with Thomas Kimbrell, taking a 16-6 major decision. UC Davis’ Derek Moore is undefeated at 141 pounds and ranked No. 3 in the nation and showed why with an 18-6 major decisino over Matt Schumm to make the score 11-4.

Bakersfield’s Brandon Doyle broke the Davis run with a 9-1 major decision over Shawn Haratani, but the Aggies took the next three matches to put the dual away, and the loss at 157 hurt the most.

In the match between UC Davis’ Alex Darkhovsky, who entered with an 0-3 record, and Bakersfield’s Jeff Baker, who was 1-2, at 157 pounds, It appeared that the Roadrunners would pick up some team points when Baker led 9-6 with 10 seconds remaining in the match. But a reversal that went directly to Baker’s back turned into a five-point move, and after Baker picked up his point for riding time, Darkhovsky picked up the win, 11-10.

It was 14-4 at that point, and Davis still had more to bring to the mat. Dustin Noack edged Daniel Atondo 4-2 at 165 pounds despite the Davis wrestler being hit with three stalling calls in the third period. Then Ken Cook, ranked No. 4 in the nation, pinned Bakersfield’s Garth Wara in the first period to put up an insurmountable 23-4 lead.

Credit Bakersfield for coming back, and the Roadrunners’ Brandon Ceremello turned in the most significant win of the night at 184 pounds. Ceremello entered the Pac-10 rankings for the first time this season, and his 9-4 decision over Tyler Bernacchi will only further that ranking.

Brandon Halsey continued for Bakersfield at 197 pounds with a 9-3 decision over Eliot Kelly, and Colton Nichols picked up a pin at heavyweight over Broc Maffia to complete the scoring.

Bakersfield returns to the Icardo Center on Thursday for its final home match of the season when it hosts Pac-10 foe Portland State at 7 p.m.