The 21st-ranked Kent State wrestling team did not get out to the start they were hoping for against MAC rival Northern Illinois Friday night. They fell behind 9-0 after the first three matches but were able to bounce back for a come-from-behind win.

Senior Ardian Ramadani and sophomore Jermail Porter came up with big wins to bring Kent State within three points of the Huskies.

Three matches later, with Kent State trailing by three, sophomore Clint Sponseller dominated Justin Metcalfe by pinning him in 4:24. That gave Kent State a three-point lead and swung momentum in their favor.

Senior Jason McGee followed with a major decision over Will McDermott and Kent State rallied to win, 22-12.

Kent State is 13-1 this season and 2-0 in MAC competition. Northern Illinois fell to 2-3 this season and 2-1 in the MAC.

“There is always someone who steps up for us and tonight it was Clint Sponseller,” Head Coach Jim Andrassy said.

He said they were frustrated with the bad start but were excited about the win.

“We didn’t wrestle as well as we should have, but it worked out pretty well for us,” he said.

Contact sports reporter Nate Stuart at [email protected].