WEST POINT, N.Y. — The Anderson Rugby Complex at the United States Military Academy set the stage for an unforgettable afternoon on Saturday, as Southern Nazarene stunned the Army WP Black Knights 26-21 in a gritty, physical contest.

From the opening whistle, the Crimson Storm matched the Black Knights' trademark physicality with tenacity at the breakdown and dominance in the set piece. That effort paid off early when SNU shoved Army off the ball at a scrum. Number 8 Elijah Segovia scooped up the loose ball and, under heavy pressure, offloaded to scrum half Hlanga Mabele, who sprinted clear for the first try of the match.

SNU's defensive resilience and control at the scrum frustrated Army through the opening 20 minutes, and the Storm capitalized on multiple Black Knight infractions. Sophomore flyhalf Thomas Wilson punished the hosts with a trio of penalty goals, stretching the lead to 14-0. Army clawed back before halftime with a maul try and conversion, cutting SNU's advantage to 14-7 at the break.

The second half mirrored the first in intensity, with both sides exchanging heavy blows at the contact point. Wilson tacked on another penalty to extend the lead, but Army surged back with two quick tries—one from a loose ball and another from a powerful maul—to grab a 21-17 edge.

Rather than fold, the Crimson Storm leaned on Mabele once again, as the scrum half's weaving 50-meter run through Army's defense set up another Wilson penalty to trim the deficit. Moments later, relentless SNU pressure earned more penalties, and although Wilson narrowly missed two kicks, he redeemed himself with a clutch strike from 30 meters to restore the lead.

The Storm's defensive grit shone in the closing minutes, repelling Army's advances and forcing the cadets into further mistakes. Wilson's seventh penalty of the afternoon pushed the margin to 26-21, and SNU calmly managed the final possession to secure one of the program's most memorable victories.