The University of Santo Tomas Teletigers Esports Club - Valorant team saw their title hopes slip away after falling in a tightly-contested matchup against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 1-2, on Saturday, May 10, at the Quantum Skyview in Gateway Mall 2.

TGR dropped its first map against the Tamaraws, 8-13, but responded with a 15-13 fightback to equalize the game.

FEU surged to a quick 5-0 lead in the deciding game, but Miguel Gumaru answered with a series of clutch plays that kept the TGR within striking distance.

The Tamaraws, however, slowly gained momentum, until Jadine Ladines was left in a one-against-three situation but clutched the 17th round to give them the match point, 12-5.

The Morayta-based squad finished it off with a swift play in the 18th round, ultimately sealing the win and eliminating the España-based squad in the tournament.

Rookie Michael Gumaru, TGR’s Sentinel, told TomasinoWeb that the team experienced pressure going into the game since they would be eliminated if they lost to FEU.

“May pressure po kaming naramdaman but knowing na malaglag kami if matalo kami, we [still] tried our best pa rin to keep our heads in the game,” said the rookie.

“We did good in adjusting our playstyle pero kahit sobrang late na namin na-adjust, we still played to our hearts,” he added.

Gumaru also shared that he believes he played well but still has a lot more to improve, and is thankful for the opportunity to represent UST.

“‘Yung performance ko is maayos naman pero need pa po ng improvement… Playing for UST is an honor knowing that you’re not competing [only] for yourself but [also] for your teammates, coaches, staff, and the entirety of [the] UST community,” Gumaru said.

The Teletigers have previously claimed the silver medal in the inaugural tournament last August 2024, only falling to the De La Salle University Viridis Arcus in the final round.

Gumaru also shared that the team’s lineup was revamped as he, alongside three other rookies in Arthas Nebres, Jared Dandan, and Luis Cuaresma, entered the lineup, with only Nathan Manuta being carried over from last year’s tournament.

The España-based Esports club will still hope for their Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and NBA2k squads to finish on the podium in the following days.