No. 21 Indiana secured a 20-16 victory over Purdue in a closely contested wrestling dual at Wilkinson Hall on Friday night. The Hoosiers, trailing for much of the match, managed to pull ahead in the second half with three consecutive wins.
Purdue took an early lead after victories at 133 and 141 pounds, but Indiana responded with key performances. Joey Buttler (149 lbs.) scored a late takedown to defeat No. 30 Gavin Brown by decision, while Bryce Lowery (157 lbs.) came back from a significant deficit before falling to Stoney Buell due to riding time.
Tyler Lillard (165 lbs.) faced off against NCAA finalist Joey Blaze, pushing him to the limit before Blaze won by decision. This left Indiana behind 13-8 after six matches.
Indiana’s comeback began with Derek Gilcher (174 lbs.), who defeated Brody Baumann with two takedowns and strong riding for a 9-2 decision. Sam Goin (184 lbs.) followed by controlling his match against James Rowley and winning 7-1, giving Indiana its first lead since early in the dual.
The decisive moment came when Gabe Sollars (197 lbs.) pinned Noah Weaver in just 54 seconds, extending Indiana’s lead and effectively securing the win.
Jacob Moran started the evening for Indiana with a technical fall over Ashton Jackson at 125 pounds. The team’s performance marked its fourth straight win over Purdue and their best Big Ten dual season since 2009-10. It is also the first time since the 2016-17 season that Indiana has reached nine regular season dual wins.
Sollars’ pin was his second of the season and the thirtieth of his career. Moran improved his record to 14-3 overall and collected his sixth technical fall of the year. Buttler’s victory was his second over a ranked opponent this season.
Indiana will conclude its regular season by sending several wrestlers to compete at the Patriot Last Chance Open hosted by George Mason on Sunday.