No. 16 Rutgers rallies to beat Rider 21-12 at Rider University
Two bonus-point wins — a 13-4 major decision at 165 and a 21-5 technical fall at 184 — erased an early 9-3 Rider lead and lifted Rutgers to the road victory.
Rider University — No. 16 Rutgers defeated Rider 21-12 on Saturday night at Rider University, overcoming an early 9-3 deficit with two late bonus-point wins that reversed the dual.
Rider won three of the first four bouts to build the 9-3 advantage. Rutgers whittled that margin at 157 when No. 32 Anthony White posted a 5-0 decision, and the Scarlet Knights took the lead a bout later at 165.
No. 26 Andrew Barbosa scored a 13-4 major decision at 165, delivering four team points and swinging the dual in Rutgers’ direction. The Scarlet Knights extended their advantage when No. 18 Shane Cartagena-Walsh closed the middle of the card with a 21-5 technical fall at 184, a five-point bonus that increased the visitors’ cushion.
Rider responded in the upper weights when Brock Zurawski, ranked No. 21, upset No. 13 Remy Cotton at 197, 14-7. Transcript-derived entries show Zurawski recorded a third-period takedown and was later credited with a riding-time point at the final horn after an escape earlier in the period, a sequence that sealed the decision for the home team.
Rutgers closed the dual at heavyweight when No. 19 Hunter Catka beat Hogan Swenski 8-3, locking the final margin at 9 points. The Scarlet Knights won six bouts overall, including the two bonus-point victories that provided nine team points — the exact margin of victory.
Rutgers’ road victory relied on the two bonus results at 165 and 184; Rider’s early scoring run and Zurawski’s upset at 197 kept the meet competitive but were not enough to offset the Scarlet Knights’ bonus production.