Northern Illinois @ Kent State

Northern Illinois topped Kent State 23-19 in Kent, Ohio on December 19, 2024, picking up a hard-fought MAC dual victory on the road.

The deciding factor was Northern Illinois’ string of bonus-point wins. Blake West’s fall at 125 supplied six team points and Markel Baker’s 22-5 technical fall at 133 added five more. Landen Johnson’s pin at 157 brought another six-team-point swing, and that trio of bonus results accounted for the bulk of NIU’s scoring and ultimately put the Huskies over the top.

Kent State answered with its own high-margin wins to keep the dual close. Jordan Decatur racked up a 20-3 technical fall at 141, Billy Meiszner posted a 14-0 major decision at 149, and Holden Martin added a 13-2 major decision at 184. Those bonus outcomes kept Kent State within striking distance but were offset by Northern Illinois’ three bonus performances.

In the end, Johnson’s pin at 157 proved the difference in the four-point final. Kent State’s collection of bonus wins made for a tight finish, but Northern Illinois’ two pins and the 22-5 technical fall provided the extra points that decided the dual.