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By ANDY ELDER
Sports correspondent
sports@lewistownsentinel.com
While it wasn't as dominating as its first win, there was little doubt who the better team was in No. 1 Penn State's second dual meet Monday night at the National Collegiate Duals.
The Nittany Lions (6-0) won nine of 10 bouts and piled up a 30-2 advantage in takedowns in dispatching No. 22 North Carolina (2-4), 37-3, in the New Orleans Theatre of the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Penn State earned a berth in Tuesday night's Blue Pool championship opposite No. 6 Iowa State in a dual meet that ended past press time.
Against the Tar Heels, the Nittany Lions used a fall, three technical falls, a major decision and four decisions.
"You know, sometimes coming into an event after final exams, we're never really sure where you're going to be, especially when guys are maybe thinking ahead about the holidays and heading home. But, you know, I was happy with what we did out there today," Cody Sanderson, Penn State's associate head coach, told the Penn State Sports Network.
Much like their first win, over Central Michigan, the Nittany Lions faced an immediate deficit. UNC's Jack Wagner, the 33rd-ranked 125-pounder in the country, scored the Tar Heels' only two takedowns of the night in a 5-1 win over Gary Steen.
Penn State then reeled off nine straight wins and top-ranked Roman Bravo-Young kicked started the comeback. RBY put on a takedown clinic against Jace Palmer, scoring 13 in a 26-11 technical fall that came at the 6:14 mark.
Beau Bartlett, ranked No 5 at 141, followed up with a solid 4-1 win over No. 25 Lachlan McNeil. Bartlett used a first-period takedown, escape and riding-time point to fashion the decision.
No. 17 Shayne Van Ness followed with a decision of his own, 2-0 over Jayden Scott. Van Ness escaped in the second period and rode Scott the entire third for a riding-time point.
Levi Haines got his second straight start at 157 and produced another win. He scored the match's only takedown in the first period and then tacked on an escape and a ride out of Danny Nini in the third for a 4-1 decision.
Penn State led 14-3 at the halfway point and closed the dual with five more wins.
No. 14 Alex Facundo scored takedowns in the first and third periods to post a 5-2 decision over Nicholas Fea at 165, setting up the most potent finishing four wrestlers in the sport.
Top-ranked Carter Starocci cradled Cade Tenold twice in the first period but couldn't produce a fall, instead settling for a 10-0 lead. He added a pair of takedowns in the second and third periods to secure an 18-3 technical fall in 6:21.
No. 1 184-pounder Aaron Brooks wasted little time in ending his match against No. 17 Gavin Kane. Brooks hooked up a standing cradle, took Kane down to his back and secured the fall in just 54 seconds.
Fifth-ranked Max Dean exploited an advantage on his feet against No. 31 Max Shaw, recording four takedowns in a 10-2 major decision.
At 285, top-ranked Greg Kerkvliet used three takedowns and four separate turns to roll up a 17-1 technical fall over Brandon Whitman in 6:27 to end the dual with a flourish.