ASU Rugby Club advances to national championship game with Baylor

Cox achieves career high during UNR match

By Hannah Dolle, Herald Staff

The Arkansas State University Rugby Club stunned the top ranked University of Nevada at Reno 36-30 this weekend at Reno, Nev., and have advanced to the national championship game.

The Indians jumped to a 13-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the back and forth game, to hold off a late rally by Reno to reserve a spot in the Division II National Championship game against Baylor University.

"I'm proud of our boys for representing ASU so well, but we couldn't have done it without ASU's support," Coach Kurt Huckaby said.

ASU scored its first try less than a minute into the game as two penalties by UNR led to flyhalf Yves Pichavant passing to wing Adam McPike who dove in for the first try of the game and a conversion by Kekoa Cox.

Two penalty kicks by Cox, who had a career day with 23 points, increased the score to 13-0.

Less than five minutes later Matt Huckaby increased the lead to 18-0 with a Cox conversion and a diving try.

However, UNR fought back to 18-15 with its points off of three straight tries.
The Indians came back with a penalty kick by Cox and a try by Huckaby who stole the ball from Reno in its own try-zone to give the Indians a 26-15 lead.
Reno scored again with another try to cut the lead to 26-20.

UNR fought back to within one point 26-25 with a score off the scrum before Cox hit a penalty to build a four-point 29-25 cushion.

Pichavant then drew Reno's defense before hitting a 60-meter kick that was chased down by Cox in the try zone for a 36-25 lead.

Reno scored once more to draw within a try and a conversion, but ASU's defense held firm for the last10 minutes and the win.

"We were bruised, we were hurt, we were underestimated, we had nothing to lose, we were dangerous," Matt Huckaby said.

The Indians play Baylor in the national championship game at Virginia Beach, Va., May 4-5.