FRESNO, Calif. – With Utah Valley holding to a late 19-9 advantage, Fresno State managed to reel off the final three matches of the night to record a 24-19 tightly contested Big 12 Conference dual meet victory over UVU on Thursday evening at the Save Mart Center in Fresno. 
 
UVU drops to 1-4 in duals and 0-2 in Big 12 Conference action with the loss, while the Bulldogs improve to 3-4 overall and 2-0 conference competition with the victory. 
 
"I was pleased with how our veterans performed. Tanner, Tate and Taylor wrestled tough and competed well from start to finish. We need some of our younger guys to step up and compete with more purpose and intensity. We didn't see that tonight," head UVU coach Greg Williams said. "With some of our best wrestlers out, it is a great opportunity for some guys to really grow. We will keep working for that result."

After dropping the first three matches of the night by decision to trail by a score of 9-0, 14th-ranked senior 197-pounder Tanner Orndorff got the Wolverines going with a clutch second period fall to make it a 9-6 contest. Holding to a 2-1 lead in the second period, the three-time UVU NCAA qualifier picked up his second takedown of the contest and quickly followed by pinning Fresno State's Danny Salas on the edge of the mat in 4:38 to give UVU six much-needed team points. 
 
The sixth-ranked sophomore Tate Orndorff then kept UVU's winning ways going with a big 3-1 decision over 2019 All-American and 12th-ranked Josh Hokit to deadlock the team score at 9-9. Scoreless in the second period, the 2019 Utah Valley NCAA qualifier made his move with an escape followed by the lone takedown of the match to take a 3-0 advantage. Hokit, who also plays football for the Bulldogs (running back), then responded with an escape early in the third, but Tate Orndorff managed to hold to his lead down the stretch en route to pulling out the victory over the fellow ranked conference foe.
 
Redshirt freshman Will Edelblute was then awarded a win by forfeit at 125 pounds to give UVU six more points and a 15-9 advantage. Fresh off of a third-place finish at U.S. Senior Nationals where he qualified a spot for this spring's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Greco-Roman wrestling, 25th-ranked junior Taylor LaMont extended Utah Valley's lead to 19-9 with a dominant 10-1 major decision over 2019 NCAA qualifier Gary Joint. Taylor LaMont picked up a total of four takedowns in the contest as well as an escape and a riding time point on his way to recording UVU's fourth consecutive victory. 
 
With Utah Valley holding to the 19-9 lead with three matches to go, former Wolverine and 21st-ranked Bulldog DJ Lloren responded for Fresno State with a 7-1 decision over Cameron Hunsaker at 141 pounds to make it 19-12 in the team score. The Bulldogs then followed by picking up six more points at 149 when UVU freshman Brigg Hoopes looked to have sustained an ankle injury and had to take an injury default to No. 20 Greg Gaxiola to bring the Bulldogs within a point at 19-18. Then in the final match of the contest, 10th-ranked Jacob Wright managed to pin UVU redshirt freshman Jerry Rubio in the third period at 157 pounds to propel Fresno State to victory. 
 
Despite winning just four of the 10 matches in the dual, three of UVU's four victories on the night were by bonus points. The contest marked the season debut for Utah Valley senior Grant LaMont at 174 pounds, as ninth-ranked senior Kimball Bastian is currently out with an injury. 
 
The win marked Fresno State's second of the evening, as the Bulldogs also defeated in-state foe Cal Poly by a score of 24-16 earlier on Thursday.
 
The Wolverines will continue the New Year's trip by traveling to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to face fellow Big 12 foe and 16th-ranked Northern Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT. The contest will be streamed live on FloWrestling.org (for a fee). Following Saturday's meet, UVU will return home to welcome No. 11 Iowa State to town on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. MT at Lockhart Arena. 
 
FINAL RESULTS
Fresno State 24, Utah Valley 19
165: Ricky Padilla (FS) DEC Koy Wilkinson (UVU), 3-2
174: Brandon Martino (FS) DEC Grant LaMont (UVU), 4-1 
184: Dominic Kincaid (FS) DEC Ashton Seely (UVU), 7-3
197: #14 Tanner Orndorff (UVU) FALL Danny Salas (FS), 4:38 
285: #6 Tate Orndorff (UVU) DEC #12 Josh Hokit (FS), 3-1
125: Will Edelblute (UVU) wins by FORFEIT
133: #25 Taylor LaMont (UVU) MD Gary Joint (FS), 10-1
141: #21 DJ Lloren (FS) DEC Cameron Hunsaker (UVU), 7-1
149: #20 Greg Gaxiola (FS) INJ DEFAULT Brigg Hoopes (UVU), 3:42
157: #10 Jacob Wright (FS) FALL Jerry Rubio (UVU), 6:22
 
Save Mart Center - Fresno, Calif.