HOUSTON, Texas - The Central Washington University men's rugby team took part in the Collegiate Rugby Association of America's (CRAA) College Men's Premier 7s tournament on Saturday. The Wildcats beat Air Force Academy 24-7 and Texas A&M 27-7, but came up short to Army 0-21 in Group D.
 
The 'Cats advanced to the quarterfinal versus Davenport but fell 12-17 in the final minute. They'll resume play tomorrow morning against Penn State.
 
INSIDE THE FIXTURES:

• Final: CWU 24, Air Force Academy 7 - Group D
• Final: CWU 27, Texas A&M 7 - Group D
• Final: CWU 0, Army 21 - Group D
• Final: CWU 12, Davenport 17 - Quarterfinal
• Location: SaberCats Stadium | Houston, Texas

QUOTING HEAD COACH TODD THORNLEY:

• "A tough old day in the heat for us today. We played well at times but also showed some inconsistencies. To lose at the final whistle of a knockout game is never fun, but these lessons are invaluable for us going forward as a program. We look forward to playing more great sides tomorrow and ending on a positive note to what has been a year of growth for our Wildcats."

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Against Air Force Academy, Arona Tauiliili kicked off the scoring for the Wildcats in the 3rd minute, followed by a Rhys Jones conversion. Only a minute later, Air Force tied it up at seven each. Tauiliili added his second try in the 5th minute, along with tries from Oscar Treacy and Andrew Miller to give the 'Cats a 24-7 win. Jones added another conversion.
• The offensive pressure continued in the team's second match of the day. Calvin Liulamaga, Kye Jones, and Mitchell Hirose landed the tries for the Wildcats on the way to a 27-7 win over Texas A&M. Rhys Jones split the uprights with one conversion.
• The offensive momentum came to a halt versus Army, who held the Crimson and Black scoreless in the team's third and final match of group play. The Wildcats fell 0-21, but advanced out of Group D with a 2-0-1 record (7 points) and a +16 point differential.
• In the quarterfinal, the Wildcats held a lead until late. But, a pair of Davenport tries in the 13th minute knocked the 'Cats out of contention for a title. Hirose found the try zone and Rhys Jones hit a conversion for CWU.

UP NEXT:

• After today's results, the Wildcats are set to match up with Penn State tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. With a win, the team would move into a clash for 5th/6th place at 9:30 a.m. With a loss, the Crimson and Black would fight for 7th/8th place, also at 9:30 a.m. All fixtures will be streamed on The Rugby Network.