HENNIKER, N.H. – The New England College Esports Valorant team secured their second consecutive National Esports Collegiate Conferences (NECC) Championship on Tuesday, prevailing three games to two in a best-of-five victory over the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), 13-10, 10-13, 12-14, 13-1, 15-13.
Facing the Chargers, the Pilgrims took the first game, 13-10 before losing the second by that same score. Game three went into overtime with UAH edging NEC, 14-12.
Down two games to one and facing elimination, the 'Grims stormed back in the fourth with a dominating 13-1 victory to keep their hopes alive.
Sydney Bucci (Booki) posted a brilliant 18-6 kill ratio in the frame with a game-high two bomb defuses.
With the match tied at two games apiece, the competition went to a fifth and decisive final in Valorant's underwater Pearl map. During a thrilling 15-13 double-overtime victory,
Anthony Aguiar (Anthoknee) tallied a team-high 25 kills against 16 deaths, with 11 assists and a team-high five bomb plants.
For the match, NEC edged UAH in kills, 413-394, with an twelve-point round differential score in 120285-114539. Aguiar led the Pilgrims with 106 kills, while Bucci finished with 82 kills and a team-high 20 bomb plants.
Noel Huliselan (.iamsuperman) finished with 83 kills with a team-high 55 assists, while
Patrick Tewksbury (IamReggie) had 70 kills and 32 assists.
Eris Liebster (Thena101) had 72 kills with a team-best six bomb diffusions.
It was the NEC Valorant team's second consecutive NECC championship, having won the Spring 2024 title as well.
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