UAAP Esports: Ateneo bags NBA 2K24 title in “El Clasico” vs DLSU
Ateneo de Manila University’s Paolo Medina made history by winning the first-ever event title in UAAP esports in what was a thrilling basketball esports showdown against its perennial rival.
Medina won in a stunning three-game series of NBA 2K24 against De La Salle University’s Kegan Yap, 2-1, at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box, Areté Ateneo, in Quezon City Thursday night.
“To be the first champion, I am very blessed. I feel I made a mark that will forever be there. I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Medina, a 22-year-old BS Information Technology student.
Medina kicked off the Blue Eagles’ campaign by utilizing the San Antonio Spurs to defeat Yap’s Chicago Bulls pick, 77-75. Yap rebounded in Game 2 with his LA Clippers pick to nab a 93-89 victory and force a decider.
Game 3 saw Medina pull off an Oklahoma City Thunder pick to upend Yap’s Los Angeles Lakers pick, ending the first quarter of the decider game with a 10-point lead, 25-15. This cushion allowed Medina to cruise-control the entire decider match, with the lead growing to as much as 20 by the start of the 4th quarter.
Ateneo’s dominance in the UAAP NBA 2K24 category was not smooth sailing at first. Medina entered the semis as Pool A’s second seed, which saw him defeat University of Santo Tomas’ Daemiel Argame in the semis in dominant fashion, 96-92 and 119-81.
"Not gonna lie, coming into the tournament, I felt very confident. But then, on the first day of the group stage, I lost my game against UST, and then later that same day, I lost against UP. So, it wasn't a cakewalk. It wasn't an easy path to the finals," Medina told the UAAP Esports media.
Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Nite Alparas expressed immense pride in Medina's performance throughout the UAAP Esports tournament.
"Honestly, sa six months na nag-training kami, parang two months ago sinabi ko sa kanya na, 'We are 100-percent ready to compete sa UAAP.' Nangyari nga, nag-champion kami," said Alparas.
"Sobrang confident ako kay Paolo kase simula February nakita ko siya. Nakita ko yung growth niya, development niya as a player. Sabi ko, 'Pagaling ka nang pagaling. Nagi-improve ka, lahat ng sinasabi ko sa'yo naa-absorb mo. Tina-try mo yung new things. Hindi ka takot magkamali,” he added.
On the flipside, Kegan Yap’s path was just as difficult as Paolo’s. The Green Archer’s path to the finals involved a hard-fought battle against top seed Erix Delos Reyes of the UST Teletigers in the other semifinals, where he triumphed 2-1 (65-53, 72-83, 88-67).
In Game 1, Yap used the Boston Celtics to defeat Delos Reyes' LA Lakers, 65-53. Despite Delos Reyes' strong response in Game 2, tying the series 72-83, Yap emerged victorious in Game 3, securing his spot in the finals and sending Delos Reyes to the bronze medal match against Argame.
In an all-UST bronze medal match, Erix Delos Reyes defeated Daemiel Argame in straight games, 2-0 (72-63, 71-57).
The UAAP NBA 2K24 games is one of three divisions in UAAP esports, the others being the PC division, which hosts VALORANT as its selected title, and the mobile esports division, which is utilizing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
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Sedrick Barefield paced Blackwater with 15 points, while Richard Escoto added 14. The Bossing, despite falling short in the finals, had an impressive run in the preliminaries, including a comeback win over NLEX, 95-90, earlier in the tournament.
The championship serves as a timely boost for NLEX heading into the new PBA season. Last year, the Road Warriors finished second in the Philippine Cup eliminations before bowing out in the quarterfinals against Rain or Shine. Deputy mentor Adonis Tierra called the shots in their last two games, steering the team to become the second straight PBA squad to lift the Kadayawan crown, following Rain or Shine’s sweep in 2024. NLEX closed the tournament with a 3-1 card, their lone loss coming at the hands of Blackwater.
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