After falling behind 6-0 early at home against Ohio University, the NIU wrestling team responded by winning six of its last eight matches to win the meet 20-14.

The Huskies’ (9-6, 1-1 MAC) eighth-ranked, 184-pound Ben Heizer started the streak with an 8-3 decision over Mark Shrout. Heizer is 18-3 on the season.

“I just went out there like I usually do and tried to score as much as I can,” Heizer said. “[Shrout] just tried to hold out and do the things he thinks he can do to try to keep the score from getting bigger and bigger.”

J.D. Oliva improved his season record to 14-7 for the Huskies with a 4-2 decision over the Bobcats’ (5-4, 1-1 MAC) 16-11 Joel Weimer in his 197-pound bout.

NIU’s Sam Hiatt had a 3-2 victory over Anthony Carrizales in their 133-pound match. Carrizales ended Hiatt’s season last year in the MAC Tournament. Hiatt said he has waited all year to get revenge on Carrizales and that he is really happy about beating him.

“J.D. Oliva had a big win today; that Weimer kid is ranked No. 1 in the conference,” coach Dave Grant said. “Sam Hiatt also wrestled really tough. Those guys had some huge wins for us tonight.”

Oliver Vazquez lost to the fourth-ranked Jake Percival in their 149-pound match-up. The Bobcats’ Percival now owns 22-0 on the season.

Bill Lowney lost another close match as his record fell to 6-6 on the season. He has dropped his last three matches with a combined score of 9-7. He lost on Saturday by a 3-3 sudden death decision to Ohio’s Ed Willis who owns a 26-8 record.

Second-ranked nationally, 157-pound Scott Owen made quick work of his opponent, Robert Lyons, as he cruised to a 15-0 technical fall in the first period.

Marlon Felton,125 pounds, won by a 7-4 decision and 20th-ranked Josh Wooton, 141 pounds, owns an 18-8 record after his 7-2 decision over John Spires.

“Ohio – they come to wrestle,” Oliva said. “They wrestle tough. We’re better on our feet; they’re better on the mat. That whole team is really tough. I am really happy that we won.”