LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland Esports earned the ECAC NBA 2K National Championship as Will Weir posted a 3-2 victory over Lakeland College.

Throughout the ECAC Season, Weir went 6-1 in the regular season, claiming his spot as the no. 4 seed going into the playoffs. Weir moved swiftly through the playoff bracket, earning three consecutive 2-0 sweeps against the University of Mount Saint Vincent, Bloomfield College, and Southern University to claim his spot in the grand finals. 

In game one of the finals, Weir found himself in a very back-and-forth game, going into halftime with a 21-18 lead. After some adjustments, Weir continued to dominate with the pick-n-roll with the Phoenix Suns to secure game one with a score of 43-40, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. 

The momentum continued for Weir, as he was able to take a dominant 12-point lead in the first quarter of the second game with the San Antonio Spurs. With excellent defence and immaculate scoring, Weir entered halftime in the lead with a score of 36-18. Weir continued with the same game plan for the remainder of the game and secured game two with a score of 52-32, increasing the series to 2-0.

Going into game three, Lakeland came out swinging, finding a few fast scores to take a 10-2 lead, resulting in a 16-8 first-quarter score. Weir started to fight their way back into the game, cutting the lead to just four, but went into halftime trailing 24-20. In a constant back-and-forth battle, Lakeland secured game three 54-40, moving the series to 2-1 in Cumberland's favor.

Game four was nothing short of a defensive game. With Weir and Lakeland playing lockdown defense, the score at halftime was 12-12. The game continued as it did in the first half, and ultimately Lakeland found a final basket in the fourth to take a 28-27 lead and win game four, tying the series, 2-2.

Going into game five, it was match point for both sides, with the winner to be crowned. Throughout the first quarter, it was very back-and-forth, as at the end of the quarter, Weir led 10-8. With an adjustment to his game plan, Weir was able to go on a 16-5 run in the second quarter, putting him in the lead at halftime with a score of 26-13. Throughout the third quarter, Weir remained dominant on both sides of the court, taking a 40-18 lead at the end of the third. As the fourth quarter began, Weir began wasting time throughout the quarter. As the final seconds ticked away, Weir secured a 52-25 win, winning the series 3-2 and being crowned the ECAC NBA 2K National Champion. 

"Will has finally done it, he has been so close every year since joining the program in the Fall of 2022, and now he is a champion. I couldn't be prouder, " Head Coach Spencer Claypool said. 

Weir secures the second NBA 2K Championship for Cumberland Esports and joins the Rocket League, Apex, and Call of Duty teams in securing a Championship this semester alone.