BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene University Men's Rugby earned its first-ever victory over power house Iowa Central, defeating the Tritons 27-12 on Saturday. The win marks a major milestone for the Crimson Storm, who fell 39-10 to the same opponent a year ago.

SNU set the tone immediately, winning a penalty in the opening minute that Thomas Wilson calmly slotted through for a 3-0 lead. From there, the Crimson Storm imposed their physicality, forcing Iowa Central into errors and converting pressure into points.

Creed Hicken kicked this off with a try to ignite the Storm attack. Moments later, Connor Malu'ulu punched through the Triton defense for another score, with Wilson adding the conversion. The highlight of the half came when Hlanga Mabele finished off a sweeping 80-meter team move, pushing the advantage to 20-0.

Senior Luis Camacho capped the first-half dominance with a trademark finish, again converted by Wilson, sending SNU into halftime with a commanding 27-0 lead.

Iowa Central regrouped after the break, finding rhythm and clawing back with two tries, but the early blitz proved decisive. SNU's bench rotation kept fresh legs on the field, ensuring the Storm closed out the match to seal the historic 27-12 victory.

Next Up 

The Crimson Storm will host Drury University on Saturday, September 13 at 4:00 pm in Bethany.