FAIRFAX, Va. – Battling host George Mason point for point, the VMI wrestling team dropped a close 16-15 loss to conclude the regular season Thursday night.

With the Keydets ahead 12-9 through seven bouts and following three prior ties, the Patriots’ Luke Ludke earned a crucial major decision victory at 184 pounds to put George Mason ahead by a point, 13-12, with just two bouts remaining.

After VMI’s Taylor Thomas grinded out a 7-5 tiebreaker decision over GMU’s Cameron Houston at 197 pounds to put VMI back up, 15-13, the Patriots’ heavyweight, Matt Voss, ultimately earned the win for George Mason by earning a hard-fought 3-2 decision over VMI’s Urayoan Garcia for the 16-15 victory.

The Keydets have two weeks to prepare for the Arby’s Southern Conference Championship, which is slated for Saturday, March 5, in Asheville, North Carolina.

George Mason 16, VMI 15
125 – Dalton Henderson (VMI) dec. Ibrahim Banduka (GMU), 4-3 ... 3-0 (VMI listed first)
133 – Vince Rodriguez (GMU) dec. Dominick Gallo (VMI), 4-1 ... 3-3
141 – Darren Ostrander (VMI) dec. Tejon Anthony (GMU), 10-5 ... 6-3
149 – Blake Roulo (GMU) dec. Stevan Smith (VMI), 7-3 ... 6-6
157 – Gregory Flournoy (GMU) dec. Neal Richards (VMI), 3-1 ... 6-9
165 – Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Patrick Davis (GMU), 9-2 ... 9-9
174 – Mark Darr (VMI) dec. Ryan Forrest (GMU), 7-4 ... 12-9
184 – Luke Ludke (GMU) maj. dec. Ben Wagner (VMI), 11-3 ... 12-13
197 – Taylor Thomas (VMI) TB-1 Cameron Houston (GMU), 7-5 ... 15-13
285 – Matt Voss (GMU) dec. Urayoan Garcia (VMI), 3-2 ... 15-16