Redshirt senior Joey Lavallee picked up his 20th win of the season to lead the Tigers to a 37-6 dual victory over the University of Buffalo on Thursday.
After an opening loss by 125-pounder Barlow McGhee, things looked like they could go Buffalo’s way for at least a few matches. However, head coach Brian Smith’s Tigers quickly regained and maintained control of the dual, winning seven straight matches.
It was a dominant victory for the Tigers, as they recorded 27 takedowns to Buffalo’s five. Missouri also recorded two falls, two major decisions and one technical fall in the dual.
The tech fall, recorded by Connor Flynn, was one of the best performances by a Missouri wrestler this year, as Flynn ran up the score to 15-0 in just three minutes and 11 seconds. However, the most significant victory of the dual came in the 157-pound match, as Lavallee captured his 20th win of the season, making him and 174-pounder Daniel Lewis the only two Tigers with 20 or more wins this season.
In the heavyweight match, the Tigers continued on the heavyweight carousel that has been the story of the 2017-18 season. In Thursday’s dual, it was Dante Jiovenetta who got the green light from Smith. Unfortunately, the redshirt freshman out of Florida couldn’t get the victory, as he lost by decision in his seventh match of the season.
Smith appears to be still searching for consistency n the heavyweight slot. Throughout this season, the Tigers have thrown several wrestlers onto the mat in the heavyweight spot, including Rodrigo Diaz and Austin Myers. Regardless of whose name is in the lineup for the Tigers, the meat of the order continues to carry the team to victory, and the team holds the fourth spot in the NWCA rankings.
Next up, Missouri hosts Eastern Michigan in another Mid-American Conference dual. The dual will take place at noon CT on Saturday, Jan. 13, in Columbia.
_Edited by Joe Noser | jnoser@themaneater.com_