CORTLAND (NY) – In a battle of top 25 teams, 13th-ranked SUNY-Cortland won the final five weight classes, including a trio of one-point victories, as the host Red Dragons came from behind for a 24-16 triumph over No. 23 Delaware Valley College.

Cortland improved to 15-2 in dual meets while the Aggies fell to 8-9. It doesn't get any easier for Delaware Valley on its trip to upstate New York as it will battle fifth-ranked Ithaca College on Saturday afternoon (12:00 p.m). 

Delaware Valley got off to a fast start as Charlie Frankel upset the third-ranked wrestler in Division III at 125 pounds, Nigel McNeil, 5-2. Frankel was up 3-2 late in the third when he registered a takedown to seal the deal. The win was the second for Frankel over a ranked opponent this year and he improved to 16-7.

The Aggies extended the team lead to 7-0 as Eric McCann (16-7) notched an 11-3 major decision over Sean Kempf at 133. The Red Dragons got six points at 141 as Brian Bistis pinned James DeLillo early in the second period, but Delaware Valley came right back with bonus points at 149 and 157 thanks to nationally-ranked wrestlers Zak Andrews and Emmanuel Ajagbe.

Andrews, a 2011 All-American who is ranked second in his weight class, won his 21st match of the season (21-2) with a 19-4 technical fall triumph over Andre Berry. Andrews also moved into sole possession of seventh place on the Delaware Valley College all-time list with 107 wins. Ajagbe, ranked fifth in Division III at 157, earned a 14-1 major decision over Brian Vutoanitis to improve to 14-3 and give the Aggies a 16-6 advantage midway through the evening.

However, it was all Cortland that had its wrestlers' hands lifted in victory the rest of the way, starting with a battle at 165 between Delaware Valley's Donald Smith and the Red Dragons' Jonathan Conroy. Smith held a 7-6 lead until Conroy registered a takedown with 12 seconds left to pull out the one-point decision.

Lou Puca and Carl Korpi followed with decisions at 174 and 184 respectively to get Cortland to within one at 16-14. Puca blanked Alec Horan, 5-0, while riding time was the difference in Korpi's 2-1 triumph over Kyle Tufts.

Third-ranked Jared Myhberg then gave Cortland its first lead of the match as the 197-pounder dropped Chris James 10 seconds into the second period (3:10) for a 21-16 team advantage. The Red Dragons' Corey James made it 5-for-5 down the stretch with a 3-2 victory over Mike Boardman at heavyweight.   

SUNY-CORTLAND 24, DELAWARE VALLEY COLLEGE 16
125 – Charlie Frankel (DVC) by decision over Nigel McNeil, 5-2 (3-0 DVC)
133 – Eric McCann (DVC) by major decision over Sean Kempf, 11-3 (7-0 DVC)
141 – Brian Bistis (CORT) by fall over James DeLillo, 3:35 (7-6 DVC)
149 – Zak Andrews (DVC) by technical fall over Andre Berry, 19-4; 7:00 (12-6 DVC)
157 – Emmanuel Ajagbe (DVC) by major decision over Brian Vutoanitis, 14-1 (16-6 DVC)
165 – Jonathan Conroy (CORT) by decision over Donald Smith, 8-7 (16-9 DVC)
174 – Lou Puca (CORT) by decision over Alec Horan, 5-0 (16-12 DVC)
184 – Carl Korpi (CORT) by decision over Kyle Tufts, 2-1 (16-15 DVC)
197 – Jared Myhberg (CORT) by fall over Chris James, 3:10 (21-16 CORT)
285 – Corey James (CORT) by decision over Mike Boardman, 3-2 (24-16 CORT)
EXH (133): Edwin Perry (CORT) by fall over David Davidson 6:16
EXH (184): Mike McGrath (CORT) by major decision over Joseph Richard