Lehigh’s bonus-point barrage pummels Morgan State 34-9 in Baltimore
No. 5 Luke Stanich’s pin and a string of technical falls turned a competitive start into a runaway Lehigh win at Hurt Gymnasium.
Lehigh closed out a 34-9 road victory over Morgan State with a string of bonus-point finishes that decided the dual. The Mountain Hawks scored five technical falls and a pin across the lineup to build an insurmountable lead and left Baltimore with the 25-point margin.
The dual opened with Morgan State’s Julian Dawson taking a 125-pound decision, but Lehigh answered quickly. No. 5 Luke Stanich dominated the 141-pound slot, using two takedowns and an escape in the first period to stake a 6-1 advantage before finishing with a pin; the fall provided six team points and swung momentum firmly to Lehigh. Stanich’s victory was one of the most consequential moments in the dual.
Lehigh’s secondary scorers carried the bonus-point charge. No. 9 Max Brignola followed with a 17-2 technical fall at 165, and heavyweight No. 10 Nathan Taylor closed with a 17-2 technical fall that featured a late first-period nearfall to open the scoring. No. 17 Rylan Rogers also added a 21-6 technical fall at 184. Those finished matches — plus additional technical falls at 133 and 197 — converted tight stretches of the lineup into a comfortable team lead.
Morgan State’s offense produced three wins: Dawson at 125, Eugene Harney at 149 in sudden-victory overtime, and Cort Vann at 174. Harney’s overtime takedown and Vann’s late third-period scoring kept the Bears competitive in individual bouts, but they could not match Lehigh’s bonus-point output.
The win carried added significance for the Mountain Hawks. It marked another step in their run of dual success this month and coincided with head coach Pat Santoro’s 200th victory leading Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks improved their dual record with the result and remained unbeaten in conference duals.
In short, the match hinged on Lehigh’s ability to finish: a pin from a ranked starter and a string of technical falls turned what began as a tight contest into a decisive 34-9 road victory.