UE defies odds, snags first UAAP Mobile Legends crown

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the East had the final laugh. 

Defying expectations, the UE Zenith Warriors delivered a masterclass in the finals, stunning the erstwhile undefeated University of Santo Tomas, 2-0, to rule the first UAAP Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament at Hyundai Hall, Arete Ateneo on Wednesday, August 21. 

Following kills from Ariel Dolar, John Lawrence Chavez, and Ryan-Ver Federizo, UE went on a base turret siege in the bottom lane to complete the upset win.

“We knew for ourselves we could beat UST, especially in the group stages. We just had a lot of miscommunication then, but somehow we got it all together [in the finals],” UE playing coach Arohn Jen Cabigting said in Filipino.

UE opened the tournament against UST, losing via sweep. While the Teletigers breezed past the competition, the Warriors lurked and turned the tables around when it mattered the most.

Entering the playoffs as the lowest-ranked team, UE shocked Far Eastern University earlier in the day to book its seat in the finals against the heavily favored UST, whose squad had not dropped a game prior to the finale. 

UE continued its romp despite an hour of delay, outplaying the Teletigers throughout the best-of-three affair to pull the biggest upset among the esports tournaments.

“We were never overconfident because we know the caliber of UST. Since we know their capabilities, we just focused on what we think is the best way for us to win,” added Cabigting, a 21-year-old civil engineering student.

Chavez was named the Finals MVP, setting the tone in Game 1 before delivering on key counters in the title-clinching match.

Those counters, which disrupted most of UST’s marquee sets, were the difference maker, said UST team captain Arjohn Roxas.

“They were really good at analyzing game plays. We felt like they have countered everything we throw at them,” said Roxas, a third year journalism student who led the squad to an undefeated elimination run alongside Benjamin Lukban, Rammuell Belga, Angel Saliuan, and Jose Odfina.

“They forced us to play outside our comfort zone. We were reactive and was a bit of out of sorts when they read what we wanted to do.”

UE, which also fielded John Zel Bartolo and Elijah Vilaray, staved off elimination late in the group stage, taking down the Adamson University Falcons before securing a crucial 1-1 split with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, earning the last playoff spot. 

UE’s win punctuated UAAP’s weeklong esports showcase, where the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University earlier captured the NBA 2K and VALORANT titles, respectively. 

Meanwhile, UST finished with two silver medals and a bronze after making it in the playoffs of all three esports disciplines. – Rappler.com