(NOTE: Story updated to indicate Sunday's opponent and correct start time.)
MARIETTA, Ga. — The Wayne State women’s rugby team got three first-half tries from Kennedy Jones to build a 26-0 halftime advantage and advanced to the finals of the National Small College Rugby Organization tournament with a 57-14 win over Minnesota Moorhead Saturday afternoon at Life University’s Lupo Field.
It was an even battle through the first part of the opening half, but Wayne State broke the ice when Anna Fleecs took the ball off the right side for a short scoring run to give the Wildcats the early 5-0 advantage.
Two minutes later, Jones scored the first of her three tries in the opening period off a Moorhead turnover, going into the right corner and centering the ball in the end zone for Selma Taylor to convert an easy kick to make it 12-0.
One minute later, Jones took advantage of a turnover and outraced the Moorhead defense for a 60-yard score. Taylor hit the conversion to make it 19-0.
In the final 10 minutes of the opening period, Jones got the hat trick as the Wildcats worked the ball to the middle and got the ball to Jones, who went to the left side and scored. Taylor’s conversion kick made it 26-0 at intermission.
Early in the second half, Wayne State found the try zone again when Cortney Forbes took an offload pass from Julia Baxter at midfield and scrambled to the end zone. Taylor converted the kick to make it 33-0.
Four minutes later, Mae Hoesing made a nifty run, cutting to the right and then going back to the left for a score. Taylor hit the conversion to give Wayne State a 40-0 advantage.
Moorhead finally got on the board 17 minutes into the second half when Kylie Billings split the Wildcat defense for a 55-yard scoring run. She added the conversion kick to cut the Wildcat advantage to 40-7.
Moorhead scored again after a long battle on the Wayne State end of the field, but the Wildcats countered with two more scores six minutes later. Brooke Hoesing found the corner for one score, and Fleecs picked up her second try of the match two minutes later with a long run through the center of the field to make it 52-14.
In the final minute, Brooke Hoesing closed out the scoring with her second try of the match, scoring from the left side on 30 yards out, finishing off the Wildcat win and advancing Wayne State to its fourth consecutive national championship match.
Wayne State will face Endicott University (Mass.) on Sunday at 12 p.m. in the championship match.
