Isaac Jordan earns spot in the 165-pound NCAA final

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Isaac Jordan earns spot in the 165-pound NCAA final

March 18, 2016 | Wrestling

Three-time All-American is Wisconsin’s first finalist since 2014

NEW YORK -- Wisconsin junior Isaac Jordan is headed to the 165-pound final at the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships after downing his cousin, Bo Jordan of Ohio State, in a thrilling 5-4 match in the semifinals on Friday.

Isaac Jordan (29-0) is going to his first NCAA final after clinching his fourth career win against his cousin.

Isaac struck first, taking Bo down two minutes into the match for a 2-1 lead after Bo scored on an escape. The two 165-pounders battled in neutral throughout the second period, keeping Isaac's advantage at 2-1 through two periods.

But the third period was a different story.

In one of the most exciting periods of the tournament for the Badgers, Isaac slipped out Bo's grasp at the start of the third but, instantly, Bo struck Isaac with a reshot to take him down and tie the score at 3-3. Isaac reacted quickly and reversed Bo at the 1:26 mark to take a 5-3 lead. Bo escaped, but it wasn't enough to overcome Isaac's lead.

"In the third he picked the top, and we figured he would do that," Isaac Jordan said. "He thought he could beat us there and when I got away I relaxed. I've been working on that so much. He took me down right away, so I had to refocus, get my composure back. He got the leg and we worked on that a lot, so that was a big deal."

All four of the Jordans' matches in the last two season have gone in Isaac's favor and have been decided by two points or less.

"I'm happy I won," Isaac Jordan added. "It's tough with family, but it's just a wrestling match. So we'll get past it."

Jordan is the first NCAA finalist for the Badgers since Tyler Graff took runner-up at 133 pounds in 2014. He will face two-time national champion Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. CT.

Jordan is the lone All-American for Wisconsin this season, as junior Ryan Taylor was knocked out of competition in the Blood Round. The 2015 All-American was pinned by Nebraska's Eric Montoya at 3:23 and finished his junior campaign with a 12-7 record.

The parade of All-Americans is set for a 6:35 p.m. start and will be followed by the meet's sixth session. The individual championships will start with the 125-pound weight class and end at heavyweight.

The finals will be televised on ESPN fans can also follow live updates via UWBadgers.com and Twitter (@BadgerWrestling).