The wrestling team knew all week it would be missing three starters from its lineup Saturday night against Iowa State. But Saturday night, the Lions were basically missing five.

Troy Sunderland, ranked No. 1 at 142 pounds, did not make weight, and Tim Wittman, ranked No. 5 at 150, was ill and left practice early several times during the week. True freshman Bryan Zeamer wrestled at 142 and lost, and Wittman wrestled without any intensity and lost a major decision.

So the Lions (13-4-1) gave up seven team points in those bouts instead of gaining six or seven, and lost to Iowa State, 26-11. The Lions scored all 11 points in the first three bouts.

"People are going to look at the score and say 'You got killed,' " Coach Rich Lorenzo said. "But you've got to figure, we had four guys in the lineup who didn't even go to the state tournament in high school."

Sunderland injured his foot riding a stationary bike last weekend and could not run to cut weight; he then became ill this week and didn't practice as hard as he needed to. Lorenzo said he suspected around Wednesday that Sunderland might have trouble cutting weight.

"Troy just doesn't feel well right now," assistant coach John Fritz said. "He's just going through a slump."

Some of the wrestlers, however, were angry that Sunderland was unable to make weight. Several would not comment except to say "I don't want to talk about that."

Wittman, normally an aggressive wrestler, was unable to finish his shots against No. 2 Torrae Jackson. Jackson scored six takedowns in his 13-5 win; Wittman managed only five escapes, and Jackson let him up on two of them.

"He's been sick, but when you're out on the mat you've got to give it your best," Fritz said.

"You just have to hope he's going to be able to put it (the illness) out of his mind," Lorenzo said.

Going into the 142-pound bout, Penn State had an 11-0 lead. After 150, Iowa State (11-1) had closed the lead to 11-7. Penn State was not favored at any of the upper weights and needed someone to pull an upset.

Jason Suter came close at 158, losing to No. 3 Steve Hamilton, 2-1. Hamilton captitalized on Suter's shot to score a takedown in the last 30 seconds of the first period. Suter then rode Hamilton for the entire second period to gain a 1:35 riding time advantage.

Suter started down to start the third, but didn't escape until Hamilton erased his riding time advantage and 22 seconds were left in the bout.

"It was the same old thing -- I was so close, but I still lost," Suter said. "I kept trying for the two-point reversal, and I should have just taken the escape."

Mike Kraft, a true freshman wrestling for the injured Matt White at 177, nearly defeated No. 4 Matt Johnson. Johnson scored a takedown -- just barely -- at the edge of the mat at the first period and his other points came on an escape to start the second period and riding time.

After allowing the takedown, Kraft wrestled aggressively and nearly earned a reversal in the third period that would have cut the lead to 3-2. Instead, he got the escape and lost, 4-1.

The meet was framed by mismatches. At 118, No. 1 Jeff Prescott technical falled No. 11 Eric Akin at 5:48; Akin failed to score a point. At heavyweight, No. 7 Todd Kinney pinned No. 11 Marc Padwe at 1:50.

Kinney grabbed Padwe's far arm and held him to the mat, an unusual and quick move for a heavyweight, but one he also used the night before against Lehigh for a pin.

"He just got out-horsed by a horse," Lorenzo said.