PHNOM PENH – Blacklist International head coach, Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani, lauded his rookies for stepping up in the team’s quarterfinal series against Fire Flux Impunity in the 2023 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup.
Kenneth “Yue” Tadeo’s impressive performance on Valentina in the opener led the team to a lopsided 21-5 Game 1 victory, where he also achieved a Maniac. He finished with a game-high nine kills, along with nine assists and two deaths.
When the squad from Turkey fought back in the second game, it was Howard “Owl” Gonzales who stepped up. He delivered a game-high six kills, along with an assist and a death on Beatrix, helping the team secure a 12-6 Game 2 win in almost 20 minutes.
The former Maharlika standout (Yve) capped the series with a monster 10-1-7 line, while the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist (Beatrix) had three kills and nine assists against one death in the 19-7 Game 3 triumph.
Master the Basics expressed surprise at the consistency shown by the two neophytes but revealed that he had already seen flashes of it during the team’s scrimmages. He hopes that the two can sustain their fine run and deliver for Blacklist International in the home stretch of the tournament.
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“Sobrang surprised din na grabe yung consistency nila. Pinakita naman na nila yun during practice pero mas nakakabigla pa rin kapag sa stage nila ginawa,” said Master the Basics.
“Sobrang thankful ako sa dalawa kasi nagbubunga yung pinaghihirapan nila. Sana mag-patuloy pa yung ginagawa nila,” he added.
Blacklist International is set to face home team Burn X Flash in the semifinals on Saturday at 12:00 PM.
Master the Basics emphasized that composure will be key for the three-time MPL Philippines champion squad against the Cambodians, with hundreds of fans rallying behind them.
“Cambodian team yung susunod nating kalaban so expect natin na yung crowd talaga is pwedeng makaapekto. Pero yun yung magiging mindset namin, dapat kahit ganun, magawa pa rin namin yung best performance namin,” he said.
