CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After dropping the first bout of the night, No. 10 NC State won the next five, and six of the next seven, and picked up a huge road ACC win over No. 13 North Carolina, 20-14.
With the win over the ACC-leading Tar Heels, NC State will now go into next week’s season finale at Virginia Tech with a chance to repeat as ACC Dual champions with a win.
The Wolfpack (15-3, 3-1 ACC) has now won six in a row in the series versus the Tar Heels (11-6, 3-1 ACC).
The dual started at 149 pounds with a top-10 battle. #5 Austin O’Connor scored a pair of third period takedowns and posted a 9-4 decision over #7 Justin Oliver.
The Pack then went on to win five in a row and took a commanding 17-3 lead with four matches left.
#4 Hayden Hidlay scored a pair of takedowns in all three periods and cruised to an 18-6 major decision over #20 McClure at 157 pounds for the first bonus point win of the night.
The Bullard twins went for back-to-back wins for the Pack. At 165 pounds, Thomas Bullard scored an 8-2 decision, and at 174 pounds, Daniel notched a four-point near fall in the second period and dominated to an 11-0 major decision.
In the third ranked battle in the first five bouts, #5 Nick Reenan scored both of the bout’s takedowns and picked up a 6-4 decision over #14 Chip Ness at 184 pounds.
At the intermission, NC State held a 14-3 lead.
The Pack made it five in a row, when R-Sr. Malik McDonald scored a third period takedown to pick up a 3-1 decision at 197 pounds.
UNC broke the Pack’s streak with a decision at heavyweight.
NC State clinched the dual win, as #11 Sean Fausz returned to 125 pounds and picked up a 7-2 decision.
UNC closed the dual with a tech fall at 133 pounds and decision at 141.
Up Next: The Wolfpack will conclude the regular season with a dual at #14 Virginia Tech next Friday night in Blacksburg. With a win in the dual, the Pack will win its second straight ACC dual title.
#10 NC State 20, #13 North Carolina 14
149: #5 Austin O’Connor (UNC) dec. #7 Justin Oliver; 9-4 – 0-3
157: #4 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) major dec. #20 Josh McClure; 18-6 – 4-3
165: #17 Thomas Bullard (NCSU) dec. Sawyer Davidson; 8-2 – 7-3
174: #23 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) major dec. #29 Devin Kane; 11-0 – 11-3
184: #5 Nick Reenan (NCSU) dec. #14 Chip Ness; 6-4 – 14-3
197: #21 Malik McDonald (NCSU) dec. Brandon Whitman; 3-1 – 17-3
285: #16 Cory Daniel (UNC) dec. Colin Lawler; 9-4 – 17-6
125: #11 Sean Fausz (NCSU) dec. Joe Heilmann; 7-2 – 20-6
133: #19 Gary Wayne Harding (UNC) tech fall Zurich Storm; 18-1 – 20-11
141: #19 A.C. Headlee (UNC) dec. Kelln Devlin; 3-1 – 20-14