CFFC Match Day results: Stephen Little claims OW belt as Little Rock racks up bonus points over Pac-12 rivals Oregon State
Trojans storm out of the gate and take home impressive 29-14 victory as Match Week continues on UFC FIGHT PASS.
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – It was Senior Night at the Jack Stephens Center, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans made sure everyone enjoyed the proceedings, as the No. 17-ranked Trojans took home a 29-14 win over their Pac-12 rivals, the Oregon State University Beavers.
The Trojans scored five straight victories to open the dual – including the night's lone pin from All-American Stephen Little – to put the Beavers on their heels, before fellow All-American Nasir Bailey locked up the result with a gutsy technical fall of his own.
The dual started at 157 pounds, and Little Rock's Matty Bianchi set the tone for the evening, collecting bonus points with a major decision win, 9-0. His brother, Joey Bianchi, then made it a perfect night for the family, taking home a decision win of his own at 165 pounds.
Next up, it was Little Rock sixth-year man Tyler Brennan, son of MMA pioneer Chris Brennan, who claimed six points, albeit in unfortunate fashion, as an apparent Chris Harman knee injury forced officials to signal a default just 40 seconds into the contest.
Things went from bad to worse afterward, as Little Rock junior Brock DelSignore netted a third-period technical fall at 184 pounds, 20-4, before Little put on a showcase, ending his match at 194 with a pin at the 2:36 mark of the opening frame, putting the Trojans up 24-0 at the halfway mark of the dual.
To the Beavers' credit, they would win four of the final five matches, but they failed to net the bonus points needed to catch up to their opponents, and Bailey's hard-fought victory – which he earned while seemingly battling a few physical ailments – put the win on ice.
Afterward, Little was awarded the night's CFFC Match Day Outstanding Wrestler belt, and he said the result was exactly as he envisioned.
"I just knew I was going to go out there and get after it," Little said. "That's what Little Rock wrestling does."
CFFC Match Day's special Match Week series concludes on Sunday in Columbia, when the No. 23-ranked Missouri Tigers host the No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers. The dual streams in its entirety on UFC FIGHT PASS.
COMPLETE LITTLE ROCK VS. OREGON STATE RESULTS INCLUDE:
157: Matty Bianchi (LR) def. CJ Hamblin (OSU) via major decision (9-0)
165: Joey Bianchi (LR) def. Steele Starren (OSU) via decision (9-4)
174: Tyler Brennan (LR) def. Sean Harman (OSU) via injury default (0:40)
184: Brock DelSignore (LR) def. TJ McDonnell (OSU) via technical fall (20-4)
197: Stephen Little (LR) def. Vaun Halstead (OSU) via fall (2:36)
285: Brett Mower (OSU) def. Brandon Britten (LR) via technical fall (17-2)
125: Maximo Renteria (OSU) def. Jayden Carson (LR) via decision (3-1)
133: Nasir Bailey (LR) def. Damion Elliott (OSU) via technical fall (21-4)
141: Brennan Van Hoecke (OSU) def. Nash Singleton (LR) via decision (4-1)
149: Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. Jordan Williams (LR) via decision (5-1)
