Jacob Cortez lifted La Salle on his shoulders with a clutch showing in the fourth, highlighted by a cold-blooded jumper with 12.4 seconds remaining to oust Ateneo and secure the last UAAP Final Four slot.
Jacob Cortez looked cool and collected when he nailed a crucial basket late in La Salle's 78-72 semis-clinching victory over Ateneo in UAAP Season 88 men's basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Cortez intercepted Jared Bahay's pass, then hit a jumper on the other end to give the Green Archers a four-point separation, 76-72, with just 12.4 seconds to go.
The DLSU quintet then protected their advantage to the finish, securing for themselves the last Final Four spot behind their 8-6 mark.
They consequently eliminated not just the Blue Eagles, who slid to 6-8 at sixth, but hopeful Far Eastern U (7-7 at fifth) as well.
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“For that shot, I don't know. I've been doing that since I was a kid, you know, counting down by yourself in the gym. And what best way to do it [than] to nail [it this] game, crucial game.” Cortez said, finishing with a 9-of-12 shooting clip.
Cortez was reliable for the Green Archers all game long, but shone the brightest in the fourth, where he scored 12 of his 20 points.
He thus helped DLSU flip the script after falling behind by 11 points, 47-58, with 2:03 left in the third period.
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DLSU coaches' 'great plan' vs. Ateneo
Still, it wasn’t like Cortez to hog the credit.
With the Green Archers heading into their third Final Four in a row, Cortez shared the spotlight with his head coach and the rest of the coaching staff.
“I just want to give credit to Coach Topex [Robinson] and all the coaches, actually. They had a great, great plan. All we had to do, really, is follow it.” he said.
“We got out of it a bit in the first half, but in the second half, we started to stick together. And that's what really made us win.”
Mike Phillips was Cortez’s biggest supporter, producing a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds. He also had four assists and two steals.
Vhoris Marasigan, who was ejected after incurring two technical fouls with two minutes left in the game, ended up with 12 markers.
The Blue Eagles, meanwhile, leaned on one-and-done talents Dom Escobar (18 points) and Kymani Ladi (13).
Divine Adili added 11 points and the same number of rebounds.
The Green Archers thus set up a Final Four battle against top-seeded National U (11-3), which is armed with one of the two twice-to-beat incentives.
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Luisa Morales is a sportswriter with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.