Barket’s Pin Seals 24-22 Win at Gardner-Webb

Wednesday, December 3

Boiling Springs, NC

6 p.m.

Duke University

Gardner-Webb

Photo by: Sommer Thomas / Duke Athletics

Barket’s Pin Seals 24-22 Win at Gardner-Webb

12/3/2025 10:28:00 PM | Wrestling

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — The Duke wrestling team won five out of its final seven bouts Wednesday on the road at Gardner-Webb to collect a 24-22 victory at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs.

The Blue Devils received victories from Dylan Ross, Mikey Boulanger, Aurelius Dunbar, Aidan Wallace and Connor Barket to propel Duke to the win. Duke improved to 5-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs dropped to 3-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Gardner-Webb opened the match by jumping out to a 14-0 lead by winning at 125, 133 and 141 pounds.
The Blue Devils were able to get on the board at 149 pounds as redshirt freshman Dylan Ross collected a 4-0 decision against Drew Pepin.Ross, who is from Edgewater, New Jersey, battled through a scoreless first two periods, before collecting a reversal to put the first points on the board and holding on for the 4-0 decision.Ross is now 2-2 on the season in dual match action and 5-2 overall.
At 157 pounds, Duke's Mikey Boulanger faced Joseph Giordano.Boulanger totaled a takedown in the first period and led 3-1.Giordano battled back in the second by notching an escape and takedown to lead, 4-3, heading into the final period.Boulanger, a native of Milford, Massachusetts, notched a reversal to open the period to regain the lead and held on for a 6-5 decision.
The Blue Devils trailed 14-6 heading into the 165-pound match featuring Aurelius Dunbar of Duke and Tucker Cell of Gardner-Webb.Dunbar, who hails from Greencastle, Pennsylvania, took control early with a takedown and nearfall to lead 7-1, before collecting a pin and put an important six points on the board for Duke.
Needing more Duke points to cut into the Bulldog lead, redshirt sophomore Aidan Wallace did just that at 174 pounds as he pinned Andrew Wilson to collect his 10th win of the season.Wallace, a native of Mahwah, New Jersey, is now 19-6 in dual match play.The fall by 23rd-ranked Wallace gave Duke its first lead of the match, 18-14.
Gardner-Webb regained the lead, 22-18, by netting two major decisions at 184 and 197 pounds.
It all came down to the heavyweight match with Duke's 19th-ranked Connor Barket and Gardner-Webbs Rocky Files.Barket, who is from West Lafayette, Indiana, took control of the match early with a takedown 45 seconds into the bout.He added five more takedowns, before closing the match with a pin to clinch the Duke victory.

NOTES

Mikey Boulanger won his third bout in a row to improve to 7-4 on the season as a true freshman. He is 4-4 in dual match action.
With his third consecutive win, Aurelius Dunbar improved to 5-1 on the year and 5-1 in dual matches.
Aidan Wallace collected his first collegiate fall on the night at 174 pounds.
Connor Barket improved to 9-0 on the season and 6-0 in dual match play. He is now 49-30 all-time as a Blue Devil. Barket collected his eighth career pin.

WHAT IS NEXT

Duke returns home to host Appalachian State Dec. 17 at 6 p.m., inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils wrestling, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWRES".

Duke def. Gardner-Webb 24-22
125: Tyson Lane (Gardner-Webb) def. Riley Rowan (Duke), Fall (0:37)
133: #18 T.K. Davis (Gardner-Webb) def. John King (Duke), 19-3 tech fall (3:20)
141: Dominic DiTullio (Gardner-Webb) def. Raymond Adams (Duke), 8-1 decision
149: Dylan Ross (Duke) def. Drew Pepin (Gardner-Webb), 4-0 decision
157: Mikey Boulanger (Duke) def. Joseph Giordano (Gardner-Webb), 6-5 decision
165: Aurelius Dunbar (Duke) def. Tucker Cell (Gardner-Webb), Fall (2:48)
174: #23 Aidan Wallace (Duke) def. Andrew Wilson (Gardner-Webb), Fall (2:50)
184: Hadyn Danals (Gardner-Webb) def. David Hussey (Duke), 10-1 major decision
197: Josh McCutchen (Gardner-Webb) def. Owen McGrory (Duke), 9-1 major decision
HWT: #19 Connor Barket (Duke) def. Rocky Files (Gardner-Webb), Fall (2:54)