An all-Filipino clash between Execration and Blacklist International in the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) will have to wait.

Execration failed to set up an upper bracket finals date with Blacklist as it got relegated to the lower bracket following a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Indonesian squad EVOS Legends on Friday, June 11.

The first to get on the board in the best-of-three affair, Execration dropped the next two games and allowed EVOS Legends to advance to the upper bracket finals.

Execration secured its comfort picks in Game 3 as Kiel VJ “Kielvj” Hernandez and Joshua “Ch4knu” Mangilog selected Ling and Akai, respectively, but EVOS Legends proved to have the better draft.

To counter Ling, EVOS Legends opted for Aldous and Popol and Kupa – a strategy that worked wonders in the endgame.

After several successful base defenses by Execration, EVOS Legends finally clinched the series win by wrapping up Game 3 in under 22 minutes.

EVOS Legends’ Hafizhan “Clover” Hidayatullah Mirzaputra shone in Game 3 with 10 kills and 5 assists against 2 deaths on Harith, while Perdyansyah “Ferxiic” Kamaruddin had 1 kill and 13 assists against 3 deaths on Aldous.

Kielvj struggled in the do-or-die duel with 3 kills and 4 assists against 4 deaths.

The loss was reminiscent of the time Execration – also using Ling – fell short of the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines Season 7 title after succumbing to an Aldous-led Blacklist in the winner-take-all Game 7.

Despite the loss, Execration still has a shot at the MSC title as it continues its playoff campaign in the lower bracket against Cambodian team Impunity KH on Saturday, June 12. – Rappler.com