GOLDEN, Colo. - Laith Ibrahim's fall in a winner-take-all heavyweight bout proved the difference as #22 Colorado School of Mines upset #16 Adams State, 26-20, in a back-and-forth thriller at a sold-out Volk Gymnasium.

The Orediggers (9-2, 4-1 RMAC) and Grizzlies (3-1, 2-1 RMAC) were tied 20-20 after nine weight classes, with Mines erasing an eight-point deficit after 165 thanks to Jakob Smith's pin and a Wyatt Reisz technical fall.

Izaiah Padilla provided a key early fall at 133 pounds, and #3 Cody Thompson provided a win by decision at 149 to help Mines stay alive in the RMAC title hunt.

The two teams traded falls to start the dual as #2 Isaiah Gamez won over Jake Goodin at 125 before Padilla turned a single leg into a pinning tilt at the end of the second period against John Provencio. Kieran Thompson won an 8-4 decision over Ryan Espiritu at 141 before Thompson put things back level with his 8-2 win against Angel Flores.

Adams State found back-to-back major decisions at 157 and 165 to blow the team score open as #3 Aaden Valdez blanked Brandon Cody, 8-0, and Malachi Rider topped Marcus Caro 14-3. Things turned Mines' way quickly, however, starting at 174 where Smith reversed Levi Deaguero into a fall, and Reisz's late attacks produced 11 third-period points to earn a third-period technical fall, 20-4, over Mahkyi Smith.

That put Mines ahead 20-17, and a battle of unbeatens at 197 didn't disappoint as Mason Diel clawed back an early deficit against Ben Tonnessen but ran out of time in a 10-5 setback, tying the dual at 20. That left it up to Laith Ibrahim, who bullied his way to a 10-2 against Jaylen Ignacio before pinning him with 31 seconds remaining in the third to earn the win for the Orediggers.

It was Mines' second straight win over a top-25 team, and third in a row against the previously-unbeaten Grizzlies.

Mines will hold Senior Night on Friday, Feb. 6 as they host CSU Pueblo at Volk Gym.
 

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#22 Colorado School of Mines 26, #16 Adams State 20 [Full Scoring]
125: #2 Isaiah Gamez (ASU) over Jake Goodin (MINES) (Fall 4:00)
133: Izaiah Padilla (MINES) over John Provencio (ASU) (Fall 4:53)
141: Kieran Thompson (ASU) over Ryan Espiritu (MINES) (Dec 8-4)
149: #3 Cody Thompson (MINES) over Angel Flores (ASU) (Dec 8-2)
157: #3 Aaden Valdez (ASU) over Brandon Cody (MINES) (MD 8-0)
165: Malachi Rider (ASU) over Marcus Caro (MINES) (MD 14-3)
174: Jakob Smith (MINES) over Levi Deaguero (ASU) (Fall 3:54)
184: Wyatt Reisz (MINES) over Mahkyi Smith (ASU) (TF 20-4 6:17)
197: Ben Tonnessen (ASU) over Mason Diel (MINES) (Dec 10-5)
285: Laith Ibrahim (MINES) over Jaylen Ignacio (ASU) (Fall 6:29)