The De La Salle University Green Archers continue their quest for another championship as they defeated the top-seeded National University Bulldogs, 78-73, in the do-or-die semifinals of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, December 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Down by two in the fourth quarter, Jacob Cortez took the matter into his hands, draining a three to give the Green Archers a hairline lead, 72-71. However, PJ Palacielo of the Bulldogs split his free throws to tie the match again, 72-all.
Cortez then scored a mid-range jumper, before splitting his own free throws to provide a three-point cushion for the Green Archers, 75-72. Kean Baclaan made his two free throws to extend their lead, 77-72, with 3.6 seconds remaining.
“If you’re gonna define how our season went, it’s really something we should be grateful for. That really tested the character of the team. It was a really nip-and-tuck affair, but these guys really showed up, they manned up, and they came out smarter in the second half,” said Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson.
The Green Archers evened the playing field after defeating the twice-to-beat Bulldogs in the first game, 87-77, last Wednesday, December 3.
Cortez led the Green Archers with 29 points, while Earl Abadam contributed 14 points. Vhoris Marasigan finished the game with 10 points.
For the Bulldogs, graduating Jake Figueroa led his team with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Jolo Manansala and PJ Palacielo contributed 13 points apiece.
For the third straight time, the Green Archers will face the defending champions, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, in the best-of-three UAAP Finals.
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In UAAP Season 88, Jacob Cortez has been playing for the Green Archers for around 29 minutes per match. Before their semifinal victory, he was averaging 14.1 points per game with a 42% field-goal percentage.
In their final-clinching victory, he scored 29 points with four rebounds and four assists. Despite his explosive game, Cortez credited his teammates for the defensive plays that let him execute the offense.
“I wanna give credit to my teammates and coaches. We worked so hard for this moment,” he said. “I know people see my shots, but Mike (Phillips), JC (Macalalag), and Earl (Abadam) did a good job of defending our opponents. I think that’s what helped us win the game and helped me get to my groove.”
“Even though (Jake) Figueroa had 21, it was a tough 21 for him. I think that’s what helped us win the game. I think that’s what helped me get into my groove. We’re gonna celebrate today, but it’s gonna get tougher when we play the finals next week.”
Although the Green Archers will be playing in the finals for the third consecutive time, this season will be the first UAAP Finals Cortez will play in after transferring to the league in 2024.
“It means a lot to me. I’ve said in a lot of interviews that this is my dream to play for La Salle. I’ve been watching them since I was a kid. I actually watched them when they won the championship,” Cortez, the son of former UAAP players Mike Cortez, said.
“Now I’m in the spot in the finals with them. I’m with Mike (Phillips), Coach T (Topex Robinson), and as I said earlier, I’m not gonna win alone. I have 100% trust in these guys that they’ll do whatever it takes to win. Really, all you need is trust.”
When he was still playing for the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA, Cortez also did what he had just done to La Salle: win their semifinals twice and the championship against the top-seeded team in Season 99.
“You can say I’ve been in this position before: coming in with twice-to-win. Same thing, we had a lot of doubters. People counted us out, but Mike (Phillips) and Earl (Abadam) keep a good job of keeping the team together, motivating them, and it’s just me who really adds on to that,” he said.
“We can’t forget that they’re champions also. It’s really gonna be a collective effort for us to win the championship, and so far, so good.”
