MARION, Ind. - For the Wildcats' Esports Season, Week 4 is officially the halfway point in the season. Both teams were playing in crucial games that could determine their playoff destinies, so the week was filled with action!

Valorant started off with their typical Monday night match. They faced off against also undefeated Northern Illinois, which was sure to be one of their biggest challenges yet. The Wildcats were excited to start off on Bind, one of the maps they've had the best results on this season. And the Wildcats continued that streak, going up 8-4 at half. The Huskies would see some success after the side switch, but IWU would ultimately defeat them 13-9 on Bind.

Map #2 was Pearl, which the Wildcats also have fantastic results on. While the Huskies did start off with a 3-1 lead early on, IWU was able to pull momentum back and tie the map at 6-6. However, with the Defensive sided composition that the Huskies ran, it was all the Wildcats after the side switch. NIU was only able to take one round in the second half, and IWU won 13-7. The 2-0 win continues the Wildcats' streak of 2-0 wins this season. They haven't dropped a single map so far, with only two more games to go in the regular season.

Rocket League was looking to bounce back from last week's loss to Indiana Tech against Beloit College. The Wildcats were still in a great position for playoffs, but not if they couldn't take down the Buccaneers. To start things off the Wildcats were roaring, taking the first three games. Gise "Twizt" Gibson's hat trick in game 3 was the highlight of that streak for the Wildcats. However, the Buccaneers stayed true to their name and were ready for a fight. They clawed their way back in games 4, 5 and 6, even taking a big 5-2 win in game 6 to force a game 7.

With playoff hopes on the line for both teams and their backs against the wall, which team would show up? Even with the momentum on Beloit's side, the Wildcats started with an early lead. But two goals late in the game, including a goal with only 2 seconds left on the clock allowed the Buccaneers to force overtime. Now, with both teams at their best, IWU started off incredibly aggressive, narrowly missing a goal within the first 10 seconds of overtime. While Beloit managed to flip the field for a little bit, it was Harrison "Farriex" Gilbert's great 50/50 ball that set Gibson up to score the final and game-winning goal of the series!

The 4-3 win moves the Wildcats Rocket League team to 3-1 in the regular season. They face some tough teams in their last 3 games before Conference Playoffs, including undefeated Carrol University, but they put themselves only one win away from securing a playoff bid.

Next week, the Wildcats will be off for Spring Break. However, the Rocket League and Valorant teams will be heading to Lisle, Illinois for the last weekend of Spring Break to play in the Midwest Battlegrounds Collegiate Tournament. Make sure to follow them on social media @IWU_Esports to catch all the action from their trip!


Standout Wildcats

• Nick Everett, "oziie", led the Valorant team statistically with a 46-27-12 KDA against the Huskies. He also recorded 7 "first bloods" on Bind, which was the single map-record for the Wildcats this season, before teammate Evan Stoller, "Pokevan", broke that record the very next map.
• Captain Gise Gibson, "Twizt", was the stat leader for the Rocket League team, scoring 8 goals against Beloit, including the series winning goal in overtime of game 7

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