La Salle Green Archers transferee Jacob Cortez had himself an afternoon at the Playtime FilOil Centre against rivals UP Fighting Maroons at the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
Jacob Cortez provided the dagger as the DLSU Green Archers outlasted the UP Fighting Maroons in a high-scoring affair to blemish the defending champions’ record, 106-99, at the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan on Saturday.
Cortez unleashed 31 points, along with the game-sealing triple late in the fourth quarter for La Salle, 105-96, with 42 ticks left in the game against a UP squad that is chasing a three-peat championship in the preseason tiff.
The guard’s heroics capped off a nip-and-tuck affair between the two rivals that saw UP battle back from an early 11 point deficit to seize the 62-60 lead at halftime.
But Cortez spearheaded a third quarter where La Salle outshot UP, 29-21, to give them the six point cushion heading into the fourth quarter, 89-83.
From that point on, it was the chase down game for UP as they struggled to get over the hump.
Francis Nnoruka made it a game late as a thunderous dunk got the Fighting Maroons within four, 100-96, but Mike Philips scored and Cortez made the clutch triple to deny UP the comeback.
Though Terrence Fortea hit a quick three with 34 seconds left, it was all for naught as the Fighting Maroons just ran out of time.
Cortez was highly efficient with his 31 points, achieving it on a 12-of-16 shooting clip. He also had four rebounds and five assists.
Kean Baclaan, the other half of La Salle’s backcourt added 20 points.
Nnoruka paced UP in the losing effort with 21 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and one block.
Fortea chipped in with 17 markers.
La Salle thus improves to 2-0 while UP falls to 2-1 in the preseason tiff.