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SPRING 2021

CAMPUS NEWS

ESPORTS WINS BIG SOUTH INVITATIONAL

In just its second year of existence, the esports team won the Big South Collegiate Esports Invitational.

The Big South Collegiate Esports Invitational consisted of nine teams from across Big South Conference schools. The Eagles received a $1,000 cash prize and a spot in the Collegiate Esports Invitational Rocket League Championship, where the team took second place.

On March 7, in a dominating 27-point win over Campbell, the Eagles won back-to-back confer- ence championships and secured the 13th confer- ence tournament championship in program history. The team reached 22 season wins for the 10th time in program history.

With the conference title, the team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 12th-seeded Eagles, the program’s second-highest tournament seeding, faced 5th-seeded Villanova in the opening round of the tournament on March 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team fell short in its effort to advance to the second round and extend its historic season.

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With a final record of 23-2, the Eagles finished the season with the best winning percentage in the history of the program (.920) for a single-season.

End-of-season accolades were awarded to Coach Pat Kelsey who earned Big South Coach of the Year honors. Redshirt senior Chander Vaudrin, who led the nation in triple-doubles, was selected as the conference’s Player of the Year.

The team is led by Josh Sides, who joined Winthrop in 2019 as the university’s first esports coach.

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