The Chattanooga Mat Mocs raced out to a 10-0 lead with wins in the first three matches, but 9th ranked Illinois battled back by winning the final seven matches to score a 29-10 win.
Kevin Malone scored a 2-1 overtime win against Chris Lopez in the heavyweight division for a 3-0 lead. Nick Soto followed that with a 14-1 major decision over Dominic Olivieri at 125, giving the Mocs a 7-0 advantage.
Marvin Lopez was also impressive in his 5-3 win over Logan Arlis. Lopez used a takedown in the first period, a reversal in the second, and over four minutes of riding time to improve to 8-7 on the year.
The Mocs are 4-5 in duals this season, while Illinois improved to 4-0. Four of the Mocs five losses have come against teams ranked the top-20, including three in the top-10.
UTC could not get another win in the final seven matches of the dual. Josh Condon came the closest, falling 5-4 to No. 8 Conrad Polz. Condon scored on three escapes and a stalling penalty in the loss.
The Mocs are 4-5 in duals this season, while Illinois improved to 4-0. Four of the Mocs five losses have come against teams ranked the top-20, including three in the top-10.
Neither team was at full strength today. Illinois used four backups at 125, 133, 197 and heavyweight, while the Mocs were without junior Alex Hudson (149) and senior Niko Brown (197).
