Wrestling | February 6

DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University Huskies wrestling team (4-3, 4-1 MAC) returns home this Friday, February 7 in Mid-American Conference action as they take on the University at Buffalo (4-9, 2-2 MAC) in the annual "Beauty and the Beast" competition alongside the NIU gymnastics team.
 
Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside the NIU Convocation Center. Fans can follow action via Track Wrestling or watch live on Huskies All-Access.
 
NIU wrestling will celebrate senior night ahead of the dual, recognizing Lucian Brink (Coshocton, Ohio/Coshocton), Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria), Grant Hansen (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg), Devonjae Hudson (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), Spencer Steiner (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North), and Jackson Vance (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Seaholm) for their careers as members of the Huskies wrestling program.
 
Battling the Bulls
 
Last season against the Bulls, the Huskies squeaked out a 18-16 victory in Buffalo, N.Y. All time, NIU boasts a 16-9 record against Buffalo. Recent history between the two teams' forecasts that Friday night will be a tight battle. The Huskies have won two out of the last three matchups, with each contest being decided by two points or less.
 
Rankings Check
 
Blake West (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) sits No. 13 ranked on WrestleStat for 125 pounds. West is also ranked No. 19 in Intermat, No. 22 in The College Wrestling Report, No. 25 in FloWrestling, and No. 20 on the Open Mat. The Huskies are also
 
Buffalo has one wrestler, Kaleb Burgess, ranked on WrestleStat at No. 25 in the 157-pound category.
 
Last Time on the Mat
 
The Huskies are riding a two-match win streak and currently sit at second in the MAC West Division of the standings at 4-1, just one win behind the University of Ohio (5-1). NIU handed the Bobcats their first conference loss of the season on Saturday, Jan. 25 in Athens, Ohio.
 
Most recently, NIU picked up another road MAC victory against Cleveland State University on Friday, Jan. 31. West and Markel Baker (Freeport, Ill./Freeport) remained undefeated in conference action as they led to the Huskies to a 29-14 win.