Andrew DavisonAndrew Davison

No. 13 Northwestern Charges Past Northern Illinois, 30-6

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DeKALB, Ill. (February 10, 2023) – No. 13 Northwestern wrestling (6-3, 4-3 B1G) closed non-conference action with authority this evening, rolling to a 30-6 win over Northern Illinois (7-5, 4-1 MAC) inside the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill.
 
The Wildcats were victorious in eight matches, picking up bonus points in four bouts.
 

 
Andrew Davison turned in a dominant effort at 197 pounds.  Wrestling Jacob Christensen, Davison used a four-point near fall in the first period to quickly build a 6-0 lead.  The Chesterton, Ind. native kept his foot on the gas as the match wore on, building a 17-4 advantage early in the third period before scoring a fall with 36 seconds gone in the final frame.
 

 
The trio of Yahya Thomas, Lucas Davison, and Evan Bates all posted wins by major decision.
 
Competing at 149 pounds, Thomas jumped all over Anthony Cheloni from the onset, using two takedowns and a four-point near fall in the first period to establish an 8-1 margin.  Thomas kept firing, adding a pair of third-period takedowns en route to a 16-5 win, his fifth by major decision in 2022-23.
 

 
Davison closed the night with another standout effort at 285 pounds, using a four-point near fall of his own during the first period to race in front on his way to a 12-1 triumph over Terrese Aaron.  Davison has now won six straight matches and 14 of his last 15 bouts.
 

 
In a 174-pound matchup with Matt Zuber, Bates put together a comprehensive performance, registering takedowns in all three periods in addition to adding a point for riding time as he pitched an 8-0 shutout.
 

 
Frankie Tal-Shahar provided early fireworks at 141 pounds against Javion Jones.  Locked in a 1-1 stalemate entering sudden victory, Tal-Shahar countered a Jones shot in the extra period to secure a fourth straight win. 
 
Troy Fisher found himself locked in a tight battle with Hayden Pummel, leading 4-3 entering the third period at 174 pounds.  Fisher controlled the final minutes, using an 8-2 outburst during the third period to secure a 12-5 triumph.
 
Chris Cannon started fast at 133 pounds, opening up a 6-1 first-period lead over Bryce West.  After riding West out in the second frame, Cannon stretched the gap to 8-1 on an escape in the third period on his way to a 10-3 decision.
 
Trevor Chumbley added another victory for the 'Cats at 157 pounds, taking down Anthony Gibson by an 8-2 scoreline.
 
Northwestern closes out the regular season portion of its 2022-23 schedule on Sunday, February 12 when it takes on Purdue in an 11 a.m. dual that will be televised on Big Ten Network.
 
#13 Northwestern 30, Northern Illinois 6
125: Blake West (NIU) over #7 Michael DeAugustino (NW) (TB-2 7-2)
133: #12 Chris Cannon (NW) over Bryce West (NIU) (Dec 10-3)
141: #12 Frankie Tal-Shahar (NW) over Jaivon Jones (NIU) (SV-1 3-1)
149: #4 Yahya Thomas (NW) over Anthony Cheloni (NIU) (MD 16-5)
157: #15 Trevor Chumbley (NW) over Anthony Gibson (NIU) (Dec 8-2)
165: #13 Izzak Olejnik (NIU) over #15 Maxx Mayfield (NW) (Dec 5-4)
174: #18 Troy Fisher (NW) over Hayden Pummel (NIU) (Dec 12-5)
184: Evan Bates (NW) over Matt Zuber (NIU) (MD 8-0)
197: HM Andrew Davison (NW) over Jacob Christensen (NIU) (Fall 5:36)
285: #4 Lucas Davison (NW) over Terrese Aaron (NIU) (MD 12-1)