The audible levels of the Rec Hall crowd peaked as Cyler Sanderson jogged off the mat following his match.

In his first home dual meet as a member of the Penn State wrestling team, the No. 5 157-pounder Sanderson entertained the crowd Sunday en route to a 3-2 victory over No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg.

The points earned from Sanderson's win were critical in the eventual 23-15 Nittany Lion victory.

Before the two wrestlers took their places on the mat, the crowd's volume increased and chants of "We Are ... Penn State" began to echo in the gym -- led by redshirts Quentin Wright and David Taylor, who directed the crowd.

Wright said he and Taylor decided they had to pump up the crowd for the big match, and the senior appreciated the crowd's enthusiasm.

"It's great to have some people behind you and it felt great to hear them the whole match," Sanderson said.

"They were into it, and it makes it a lot more exciting to be out there."

Once the match started, it was a low-scoring affair, with neither wrestler able to take the upper hand in a scoreless first period.

Sanderson started the second on the bottom and earned an early escape point.

With neither grappler giving the other breathing room, the crowd watched quietly with the exception of several lone shouts of encouragement and instructions.

Moley started the third period in a 1-0 hole, which he believed could have been avoided if he was more aggressive to start the match.

"I came into the match with the wrong mindset," Moley said. "I tried to keep it close in the beginning and not give up takedowns, where as I should have went out and tried to get takedowns and push the pace."

After Moley evened the score with an escape to start the third, Sanderson was able to get Moley in his grasp.

The Lion senior lifted his opponent off the ground and threw him on the mat to register a takedown, giving Sanderson a 3-1 lead.

Sanderson knew Moley was a tough opponent and said his strategy was just to wrestle as hard as possible.

In the match, the senior focused on keeping his feet moving while getting his shots in.

A Moley escape made it 3-2, and it looked as though Sanderson was taken down for a possible two-point score with just seconds remaining. However, Moley's attack was ruled out of bounds.

Moley didn't think he secured the takedown and said it shouldn't have had to come down to that if he had attacked earlier in the match.

As the final few seconds ran off the clock, the crowd erupted for Sanderson's first home win for the Lions after transferring from Iowa State.

The victory put the Lions up 11-9 and helped the senior feel more at home with his new school and its fans.

"It felt really good to wrestle a real tough guy and get my first [match] down in Rec Hall," Sanderson said. "It helps me adjust a little bit more and feel more welcome. I feel better about being here. It's just a great opportunity."