STILLWATER — The Cowboys’ 30-point streak needed a hero, and luckily the Pokes have one at heavyweight.
Wyatt Hendrickson trotted to the mat with “Copperhead Road” ringing throughout Gallagher-Iba Arena. He pinned his opponent in less than a minute, did a backflip and secured Oklahoma State’s 30-12 win against West Virginia.
The Cowboys are 9-0 this season and have scored at least 30 points in all of those wins. The last time OSU started a season with at least nine 30-point performances was the 1987-88 season — the season John Smith won his second NCAA title as a wrestler. The Cowboys started with 10 in a row that season, so OSU has the opportunity to match that against a tough Northern Iowa team on Friday.
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“A lot of what we just talked about in the locker room was being appreciative of these opportunities that we have,” OSU coach David Taylor said. “Every day I wake up and grateful to be coaching this program. And every day these guys come in the room, and they just gotta appreciate the opportunity to go out and compete in Gallagher, and pushing attendance, and having a product that people are excited to go and watch. …
“We want to represent a product and a style, the way wrestling should be done in its purest way. You got seven minutes to score. You score the entire time. If you’re not turning them, you’re cutting them and your tie ups and you’re getting another takedown. That’s what we do every day, and our guys are representing that when we go out there. And it’s leading to more team points, which is awesome.”
It wasn’t the best of days for the start of OSU’s lineup. The Mountaineers held a 12-11 lead through six matches, but the Pokes proved that in order to take them out in a dual, you’re going to need a massive lead going into those final four weights.
Dean Hamiti Jr. got the ball rolling with a 19-3 technical fall victory against Brody Conley at 174 pounds. Hamiti is super smooth. When the match first started, he momentarily grabbed Conley’s ankle without the two touching anywhere else. It didn’t end in a takedown, but drew a big “Ooooo” from the 8,257 in attendance. Hamiti scored a quintet of takedowns in the win.
Dustin Plott kept the pace, beating Dennis Robin with a 20-4 technical fall in just two periods. That second period alone saw Plott score four takedowns. Combined, Hamiti and Plott recorded 11 takedowns. The Mountaineers scored six takedowns the entire afternoon.
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At 197, Luke Surber wrestled a tightly contested match against Ian Bush. Surber was down 3-2 entering the third, a period where he took Bush down and rode him. A riding-time point in the waning seconds earned Surber the victory. So, after trailing 12-11, the Pokes were up 24-12 leading into Hendrickson’s pin.
“In terms of the dual, it was a scrap,” Taylor said. “We found ourselves in some tough matches tonight. It was good for our team to experience that. We’ve got some tough upcoming matches. This is a tough sport. There are no easy days, no off days. I think if you’re gonna wrestle for a program like Oklahoma State, you’re gonna get the best of everybody. You’re gonna get the best of everybody. West Virginia, they were prepared tonight, and they scraped really hard.”
From a rankings standpoint, the match of the night was at 165 pounds, featuring No. 6 Cameron Amine vs. No. 3 Peyton Hall. The two met in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where Hall got the better of Amine. That happened again Sunday, which the Mountaineer beating the Cowboy 5-1.
To start the dual, Troy Spratley suffered his second consecutive loss when Jett Strickenberger pinned him in the first period. The 125-pound weight class is one that’s tough to be consistent in, but Spratley had climbed up to No. 2 in the national standings before losing to NC State’s Vince Robinson last week. Spratley was at No. 4 entering this match. Despite the back-to-back Ls, Spratley is still 12-3 on the season.
Cael Hughes got the call at 133 pounds, as his battle with Reece Witcraft goes on. Hughes pinned No. 7 Kai Orine in the NC State dual, but he found himself in a scrap with Tommy Maddox, who entered Sunday’s dual at just 1-5 this season. The match went into sudden victory after Maddox scored on a third-period takedown. Hughes looked tired, but he came through in the clutch, scoring a takedown in sudden victory to get the Cowboys on the board.
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That led into an eventful first period for Tagen Jamison at 141 pounds. Jamison’s headgear broke early in the match. He went to the corner and tried a few different pairs on before reemerging while someone ran to the locker room to get his backup. He ended up wearing three different pairs of headgear in the first period alone. His opponent, Jordan Titus, was also getting a little handsy. Jamison took a shot to the head before the official blew the whistle to put a stop to things just for Titus to give Jamison a two-hand shove to the chest. That all happened in the first period.
Jamison kept his composure, though, and ended up beating Titus with a 14-4 major decision.
“I’m pretty composed as a person, so it’s not hard,” Jamison said. “But everybody has something in them that they want to shove right back, but you just gotta stay smart and control the match. I feel like that’s what I did.”
West Virginia has said the right things about the need to capitalize on opportunities.
The Mountaineers aren’t following through when they come about.
The latest example came Tuesday night at Kansas State, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half before holding off a furious West Virginia charge for a 65-53 victory at Bramlage Coliseum.
“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it wasn’t where it needed to be,” West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio.
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The Wildcats (12-18, 3-14) played without leading scorer PJ Haggerty, a surprise scratch with an undisclosed injury.
Although WVU (17-13, 8-9) defeated Kansas State 59-54 with Haggerty in the lineup during a January matchup in Morgantown, the Mountaineers were unable to capitalize on his absence in the rematch and fell to 1-4 in their last five games.
Both teams were dismal offensively in the opening half, which ended with West Virginia leading, 26-23.
The Mountaineers got 10 points apiece from reserve forwards Chance Moore and DJ Thomas, helping the visitors to at least somewhat overcome a starting lineup that scored six points on 3-for-15 shooting over the first 20 minutes.
“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life and can’t give them hope,” Hodge said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and at the beginning of the game to make some plays and entice a team that’s been struggling to maybe keep struggling.”
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After a scoreless first half, WVU guard Honor Huff made his 100th three-pointer this season with 18:33 to play, allowing the Mountaineers to lead 31-27.
West Virginia went the next 8-plus minutes without a point, and Wildcats took control during that stretch.
Khamari McGriff scored the Wildcats’ first four points of the extended 21-0 spurt and accounted for four buckets and eight of the first 15 points during that time.
A jumper from CJ Jones with 10:53 remaining left the home team with a 48-31 advantage, before Thomas scored from close range to end his team’s extended drought at the 10:27 mark.
“I’m aware of our shortcomings and I understand when you’re deficient in some areas, your margin for error to win is razor thin,” Hodge said. “I’m disappointed with what was at stake, we got beat to loose balls. Would it have been nice to make more layups and threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, you better do those other things.”
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KSU had separate 19-point leads, the latter of which came at 57-38 when McGriff made two free throws with 7:29 to play.
WVU then increased its aggressiveness offensively and reeled off the next 11 points, while the Wildcats began to play tentative while in possession.
A three-pointer from K-State’s Nate Johnson left the Wildcats with a 60-49 lead with 3:48 left, but the Mountaineers continued to battle and trailed by six when Chance Moore scored in the paint at the 1:24 mark.
Moore’s next basket made it a five-point game, and after a Johnson turnover, Huff made two free throws to bring WVU to within 61-58 with 48 seconds left.
Another KSU turnover gave the visitors the ball back, but after Moore missed a shot that the Mountaineers rebounded, Huff committed a costly turnover.
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Johnson made two free throws with 17 seconds left, and McGriff added two more with 7 seconds remaining before Huff made a trey at the buzzer.
Moore led WVU with 18 points and made 6-of-7 shots, but again struggled on free throws, finishing 5 for 9. WVU hurts its cause at the charity stripe and made only 9-of-16 attempts.
Brenen Lorient was the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer with 14 second-half points, while Thomas followed with 12 and Huff added 11 on 3-for-11 shooting.
Treysen Eaglestaff led all players with 11 rebounds in defeat, but made only 3-of-12 shots in a six-point showing.
McGriff led KSU with 18 points and added seven rebounds.
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Johnson finished with 16 points and nine boards.
WVU had nine of its 13 turnovers in the second half.
“Nine turnovers in the second half creates more busted floors, more cross match opportunities and through that, it makes you vulnerable for paint touch opportunities,” Hodge said.
K-State played under the guidance of interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. Driscoll replaced Jerome Tang, who was fired in between the team’s first and second matchups with West Virginia this season.
“Sometimes in life you get what you deserve,” Hodge said, “and we deserved to lose tonight.”
Photo: Dave Casebolt, left, signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman (City of Nitro)
NITRO, W.Va. — It’s a done deal.
Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman completing the sale of the Nitro Regional Wastewater Utility including the sewer plant for $20 million.
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The water utility will now own and operate the city’s water and wastewater systems. The state Public Service Commission recently approved the deal.
Casebolt said it’s good to get the long-talked-about agreement signed. He said the city can’t afford to make the improvements required at the sewer plant.
“We’re looking at needing between 40 and 50 million dollars of upgrades to our system and expecting our four-thousand customer base to try to offset those costs is not even practical,” Casebolt said.
Casebolt said sewer bills are going to go up but he said they were going to go up regardless. He said the city was facing increasing rates by as much as 50 percent.
West Virgina American is planning $42 million in upgrades to the sewer system over the next five years, Casebolt said.
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“It’s a much-need investment and actually allow the system to handle rainwater much better where it’s not backing up into people’s homes,” Casebolt said.
The results are in for the West Virginia Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing
03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
7-4-8
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 2 drawing
1-1-9-6
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Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from March 2 drawing
02-03-05-07-19-22
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
