Fancied Lyceum of the Philippines University maintained perfection in Season 1 of the Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE), stringing three more victories highlighted by a gritty win over San Sebastian College-Recoletos after the thrilling second week.
Following a wipe-out of their first three assignments including an easy win over Intramuros rival Mapua University last week, the Pirates picked up where they left off and notched another 3-0 sweep this week against San Sebastian, Emilio Aguinaldo College and San Beda University.
Lyceum thus created a separation from the pack with a pristine 6-0 card entering the crucial third week of CCE Season 1 backed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and with Galaxy Racer as official Esports partner, Converge as connectivity partner, Mountain Dew as gaming fuel and Cyberzone as venue partner.
The biggest – and the toughest – win came from the formidable Stags in a duel between unbeaten teams with the Pirates, champion of the CCE Varsity Cup last year, still coming out on top on a hard-earned triumph after 23 minutes.
Mark Kenneth “Mark” Delos Reyes once again stamped his class as he captured MVP honors in all of Lyceum’s three wins, none bigger than a steady play against San Sebastian with a stellar 12/4/16 KDA line.
The win, however, was not walk in the park as the Pirates needed to fend off a series of heavy resistance from the Stags, who managed to steal the lord in the 12th-minute mark that led to a middle lane push all the way to the third turret.
But LPU, with the help of Alfonso Clemence “GARCI” Sales (Dyrroth), Marc Joseph “Marc” Balcit (Claude), Ralph Joshua “Alas” Araz (Khufra) and Paul Adrienne “FAE” Huang (Lylia), stayed calm, cool and collected heading home.
Their most crucial play was a beautiful set up by Khufra in the top lane as Balmond wiped out the entire Stags that cleared the way for the trampling of their third turret.
The Pirates then plotted their move for another lord take in a potential game clinching play, catching the attention of all the Stags that unknowingly left their base as Balmond and the minions went for the base kill.
Reyes’ Balmond was not to be denied from there on, unleashing back-to-back masterclasses with 13/2/11 and 11/3/16 KDA against EAC and San Beda, respectively.
Lyceum finished both matches in just 13 minutes each marked by a dominating 34-7 score against EAC and 38-14 slate against San Beda to continue living up to the expectations as the team to beat in CCE headed by Waiyip Chong as commissioner and Stanley Lao as president.
Meanwhile, vengeful San Sebastian vented its ire on Arellano and College of St. Benilde to stay on the coattails of Lyceum with a 5-1 record.
CSB, San Beda, EAC, Mapua and Letran followed suit with identical 3-3 cards for a logjam in the middle of the standings with Arellano (2-4) and Jose Rizal U (2-4) and winless University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (0-6) at the bottom so far.