RALEIGH -- The match of the night lasted nearly the full 8:30, but the biggest match -- in more ways than one -- for the North Carolina wrestling team lasted a mere 2:28.
Heavyweight Ryan Adams pinned N.C. State's Ricky Fowler late in the first round to give the Tar Heels a lead they would not relinquish.
After dropping the first three matches of the evening, UNC won six of the last seven en route to a 21-13 victory that put the Tar Heels (3-2, 1-0 in the ACC) in a solid early-season position atop the ACC standings.
The match started as expected, with State (1-4, 0-1) clinging to a 10-9 lead when Adams and Fowler stepped to the mat.
"The team needed something to get momentum," Adams said. "I felt like it was time for somebody to step up, and I wanted to be that one to do it."
Adams' resounding victory brought the team to its feet and set the stage for the most exciting match of the evening.
The 125-pound matchup between George Cintron and Chris Rodrigues was a rematch of last year's ACC championship bout, a match Cintron won 3-1 in overtime.
For the first eight minutes of the match, Cintron and Rodrigues pawed at each other, with the only points coming on one escape by each wrestler.
Before the second overtime, Cintron won the flip, forcing Rodrigues to have to hold on to him for a full 30 seconds to win. With four seconds left, Cintron finally kicked free, giving him the 2-1 decision.
