THE University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Adelante beat the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats 2-1 in the semi-finals of the CESAFI Esports League (CEL) Pre-Season Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament on July 22, 2023.
In Game 1 of the Best-of-3 series, the Wildcats gained the upper hand early in the match by securing first blood. Adelante overturned the situation by taking a 4-1 kill score lead. However, the Wildcats regained momentum, and tied the score (5-5). CIT-U used its momentum as leverage to win Game 1, with a final kill score of 17-12.
In Game 2, it was Reneir Frayles “Reigneir” Pañares who marked the first kill, giving an early advantage to USJ-R’s side. 10 minutes into the game, the Wildcats were leading in kills (10-13), USJ-R spun fate to their favor and ended the match with a victory despite CIT-U having a 17-12 kill score.
With the series tied, CIT-U’s gold laner, Dale, pulled off a surprise hero pick in game 3; picking Harith in the gold lane. Joseph “Wanji” Burgos secured the first blood for USJ-R, and the team managed to take two succeeding turtles—putting the Wildcats at a disadvantage. The Wildcats lost grasp of the game and eventually succumbed to a 24-12 loss.
USJ-R’s Jericho “Kazuki” Chua was hailed as the Most Valuable Player of the series.
Domination
The University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Webmasters emerged victorious against the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors in an epic clash held on the same day.
Forging ahead to Game 2 of the match, USC’s Zeke Swayze Himaya drew first blood, giving USC an early advantage. The match remained neck and neck with a kill score of 2-1 in favor of USC during the first five minutes. However, UCLM turned the tide at the 7:50-minute mark, securing a 3-2 kill score lead over USC.
As the game progressed, UCLM dominated the battlefield, widening the gap to an impressive 8-2 kill score by the 10-minute mark. Game 2 concluded with the victory from UCLM with a staggering 15-4 score, effectively tying the series, 1-1.
In the decisive Game 3 of the match, UCLM demonstrated a dominant start with Aming drawing first blood which swiftly secured a commanding 4-0 lead just three minutes into the game. Despite USC’s efforts to regain momentum around the 20-minute mark, UCLM managed to maintain their advantage, holding a substantial 28-10 lead.
In the final moments, UCLM showcased their strength with a remarkable rally against USC, culminating in a resounding 32-10 kill score, solidifying their victory in Game 3 and ultimately claiming the match, 2-1.
Adelante will battle the Webmasters for the “Mobile Legends” CEL Pre-Season Championships on July 29, 2023.