Sometimes you just need a little confidence booster. After an extremely tough preseason, facing three teams ranked in the top-25, the Blue Devils (4-2) got a well-deserved break Saturday in Greensboro, opposing UNC-Greensboro (1-1) and Howard (0-2).
Although neither team could be overlooked, especially a UNC-G team that beat Duke handily two years ago, the matchup did not really compare to what the Blue Devils faced last weekend against Ashland and Purdue.
"After going with those guys, it made [going to UNC-G Saturday] difficult," coach Clar Anderson said. "UNC-Greensboro, they've beaten us for the most part. Two years ago and beyond, they've beaten us because they're a fully-funded program."
The Blue Devils, excited at the prospect of sweeping the event this past weekend, wasted little time in garnering their third win of the season.
Duke won 8-of-10 weight classes against Howard in the event's first match, highlighted by four major decisions over the Bison. After splitting the first two matches, Duke won the next seven, turning a 4-3 lead into a 37-3 drubbing.
"We weren't thinking too much about Howard, but you never know what could happen," 184-pound sophomore Frank Cornely said. "Even if it wasn't going to be a tough match, we still had to break them anyway.... We're training for ACCs now, so everyone we face we have to try to break them no matter how tough they are."
The Blue Devils started off just as well in the event's finale against the Spartans when Tommy Hoang stuck UNC-G's Daniel Paciti with 4:14 gone in the match. Stu Holzer, a 133-pounder, avenged a loss earlier in the day by disposing of David Johnson, 5-3, which helped the Blue Devils open up a 9-0 lead that they did not relinquish.
"Tommy plays a pretty key role for us, being one of our studs," Cornely said. "When he wins big or comes up with a big match, it really gets the ball rolling."
After Duke and UNC-G alternated victories over the next five bouts, leaving the Blue Devils with a 19-9 advantage heading into the upper weights, Cornely and Daegan Smith sealed the match with a major decision and decision, respectively. Duke handled the Spartans, 26-13.
"I was real pleased with their performance," Anderson said. "Mike Mitchell wrestled really well and Matt Hoover (165) beat Howard's best guy--he was a national qualifier."
Duke won both matches at 165 pounds, with Mitchell and Hoover splitting time there. Mitchell leads the team with 19 wins on the season.
Cornely and Smith were two of four Blue Devils to go 2-0 on the afternoon. Cornely and 149-pound senior Luke Palmisano each had two major decisions, while Hoang scored a major decision and a pin.
With the toughest part of the conference season looming around the corner, the Blue Devils appear to be wrestling better than they have all season.
"As a team, I think we looked excellent," Cornely noted of the team's performance Saturday afternoon. "Even the guys that lost wrestled really well."
After facing Davidson at home on Feb. 1, Duke travels to both North Carolina, the conference favorite, and Maryland within a week of one another.
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