Eleven pounds cost the Lions 12 early points against Oklahoma, but the Lions rallied in the middle weights to defeat the Sooners, 23-17, Tuesday in Rec Hall.

Coach Rich Lorenzo originally planned to wrestle John Evans at 118, Jeff Prescott at 126, Bob Truby at 134 and Chad Dubin at 142. The day before the meet, however, Prescott and Troy Sunderland told Lorenzo they wanted to drop weight and wrestle at 118 and 142, respectively.

Prescott, still recovering from the flu, couldn't drop the extra pounds. Sunderland, recovering from a back injury he suffered in the team's first practice after break, started cutting weight at 7:30 Tuesday morning but stopped sweating with three pounds to go.

When Prescott and Sunderland failed to make weight, Lorenzo was forced to use two freshman -- John Evans and 142-pounder Bryan Zeamer -- instead of just one. Evans and Zeamer were both pinned, and Oklahoma led, 12-6, after 142.

"I appreciate the fact that they tried to make weight," Lorenzo said. "But if you say you're going to do it, you've got to get down."

Jason Suter and Dave Hart gave Penn State the lead as each scored a takedown at the buzzer to earn major decisions at 158 and 167, respectively. Matt White followed with another major decision at 177, scoring a takedown and near fall in the final period.

"Oklahoma isn't a real well-conditioned team, so that's why we looked good," 134-pounder Chad Dubin said. "But I know they worked our guys hard after break, too."

Oklahoma lost five All-Americans, including national champion Joe Reynolds, to graduation and is not ranked in Amateur Wrestling News' Top 20 poll.

-- Jeff Prescott, who withdrew from school for personal reasons last semester, returned to the team for its meet with Cleveland State on Jan. 5 and earned a major decision in his first bout of the season.

Prescott came down with the flu two days before the meet, so he wrestled at 126 instead of 118.

"They pumped me with fluids for two days and then I had to cut weight," he said. "My body wasn't performing up to par."

Prescott is still ranked No. 1 at 118 by Amateur Wrestling News.

-- Prescott was chosen to wrestle in the East-West All-Star Classic on Jan. 28 in Philadelphia, but turned down the invitation.

The Lions wrestle Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arizona State in Norman, Okla., on the 26th and 27th and won't return to State College until Monday morning. Prescott and Coach Rich Lorenzo decided that he shouldn't drop weight for three consecutive days. Because he withdrew last semester, Prescott also needs the time to concentrate on schoolwork, Lorenzo said.

"It's probably the first time ever we've turned them down," Lorenzo said.

-- John Bove, a 118-pounder, injured his ankle against Edinboro on Dec. 10, had surgery after finals, and will be out for four to six weeks. The match was stopped with about 30 seconds remaining in the second period, but Bove finished the match with a taped ankle and lost to No. 9 Lew Rosselli, 14-4.

Bove injured a membrane and suffered a bone chip in his ankle. A surgeon used a pin to hold together two bones and remove the stress from the membrane.

The injury leaves the Lions without depth in the lower weights because 118-pounder Shawn Nelson is redshirting. Freshman Evans wrestled at 118 against Cleveland State and Oklahoma; freshman Ryan Heimbach is the backup at 126.

-- Nelson, wrestling unattached, won the 118-pound title at the Sunshine Open on Dec. 28 in Florida. Bob Truby and Chad Dubin also competed at the meet, but failed to place.

Three redshirt Penn State wrestlers won individual titles at the Wilkes Open on Jan. 5. Adam Mariano won at 190, Troy Minnich won at 167, and Josh Robbins won at 158.

Jason Suter and Marc Padwe competed at the Midlands Tournament in Evanston, Ill., during the break but neither placed.

-- Redshirt freshman Skip Pighetti returned to competition at the Wilkes Open after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. Pighetti, a heavyweight, also wrestled against Oklahoma on Jan. 8 and drew with Joe O'Mara, a fifth-year senior.