Esports 10/11/2024 9:46:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch knocks off eighth-ranked St. Clair for impressive NACE victory

The Buccaneers' Super Smash Bros team dropped a NACE tilt to Texas A&M International

Esports 10/11/2024 9:46:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch knocks off eighth-ranked St. Clair for impressive NACE victory

The Buccaneers' Super Smash Bros team dropped a NACE tilt to Texas A&M International

An impressive Overwatch victory highlighted Blinn College esports' night of action Thursday.

The Buccaneers, ranked 13th in the Overwatch Collegiate Rankings Association, topped eighth-ranked St. Clair College 3-2 in a best-of-five National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) tilt.

The victory, earned by Blinn's Kyoung Lee, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Donnivan Straight, Dhruv Pandrangi, pushed the Buccaneers' Overwatch record to 3-2 in the NACE Varsity Premier Super Conference.

Blinn jumped out ahead 2-0 in the series before St. Clair rallied to force a decisive fifth game.

"It was a nail-biting series," said Kyle Murto, Blinn's assistant coach and Overwatch manager. "St. Clair made significant adjustments to their team composition and playstyle that caught us off guard in the third map, and some mistakes on our end in the fourth map allowed them to tie things up."

The final round of the matchup went into an overtime period, and from there the Bucs stiffened on defense and prevailed in a team fight to secure the win.

"I'm incredibly proud of our team for staying composed, especially under the constant pressure of a potential reverse sweep," Murto added. "Our team stayed focused and let their gameplay speak for itself. A standout performance came from Donnivan, who showcased phenomenal individual skill. His play in the first two maps was particularly impressive, displaying a level of mastery I haven't seen from him before."

Up next for Blinn Overwatch is a NACE clash with Winthrop University set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

The Buccaneers also competed in a Super Smash Bros matchup Thursday, and fell 2-0 to Texas A&M International University.

Blinn Super Smash Bros is now 0-4 in the NACE Varsity Premier East 4 Conference.

Competing for the Bucs were Gage Cole, Gabe Pipes, Dillon Scott, and Alejandro Cerda.

"Our MVP for the day was undoubtedly Gabe, who secured an impressive five stocks in the second set," said Murto, who also oversees the Super Smash Bros squad. "Despite the loss, the team showed promise, and we've identified areas to focus on, specifically handling disadvantageous situations more effectively. We'll be working on this aspect of our play in upcoming practices, aiming to boost our confidence and adaptability in future matches. I am excited to see how the team grows from here."

Blinn's next Super Smash Bros match will pit the Bucs against Loyola University New Orleans in a NACE tilt at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 NJCAA national championships since 1987.

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