BLACK CLVMPZ hit the go-ahead jumper at 1:08 in the fourth quarter to put Ice in our veins ahead 51-49 for good, and that was the ballgame — a 56-51 win over the previously unbeaten Sock Monsters. This one was a war: 11 lead changes, 5 ties, and Ice in our veins spending 12:59 in front against Sock Monsters' 4:57. With 25.1 seconds left, lManny Gunz buried a three to push it to 54-49 and slam the door shut.

lManny Gunz was the engine all night — 21 points on a ridiculous 9-of-11 FG, going a perfect 3-of-3 from three. BLACK CLVMPZ was quietly filthy: a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, shooting a flawless 5-of-5 FG and 2-of-2 from three. On the other side, T OO K A BTA dropped 20 points and dished 6 assists for the Sock Monsters, and ICE DRAGONxX ran the show for the winners with 15 points and 9 assists, going a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Ice in our veins came in 0-2 after back-to-back losses to Guess Who on Sep 29, so this win over a 2-0 Sock Monsters squad is a massive statement in the Midwest Esports Association. The Sock Monsters had been rolling — outscoring Florida Boys by wide margins twice on Sep 28 — but Ice in our veins had other plans.