CHICAGO -- While not all traits are heritable within a family tree, there's one thing in the Cortez bloodline that has clearly been passed from one generation to another.
The clutch gene.
There is no other explanation for the subliminal performance Jacob Cortez unleashed in an epic Final Four showdown on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In a die-or-go-to-the-Finals battle with NU, Cortez hoisted the La Salle Green Archers on his 5-foot-11 frame to finish with 29 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal.
READ: In season full of questions, Cortez has been La Salle's answer
Even Superman couldn't do all of that in just 29 minutes.
But Cortez did it, and did so with flair, the kind of stuff legends are made of.
He drilled 11-of-16 shots, including 4-of-5 from 3. He also smacked the go-ahead 3 that ultimately euthanized the Bulldogs, If only to prove that he is mortal, he missed three free throws and had one turnover.
THE TAO OF JACOB
While the other players saw bedlam in the crucible of that elimination fight, the gutsy point guard only manifested serenity.
And while the ball must have weighed like a medicine ball in those last 58 seconds, it seemed light on his hands as Cortez went on a personal 6-0 run to conquer NU and its twice-to-beat advantage.
With this legacy-defining achievement, Jacob's ladder now attempts to scale the summit of the UAAP, a feat his dad Mike accomplished twice.
Meanwhile, the heart aches for those Bulldogs, the No.1 seed who topped the eliminations with an 11-3 won-lost record before going 0-2 in the postseason.
Led by Jake Figueroa, those Bulldogs were worthy opponents, but not quite equals to the vastly experienced Green Archers who booked their third straight Finals trip
And that disparity was reflected in the endgame where NU couldn't put up a decent shot in the welter of Cortez's barrage.
NU's Jeff Napa is a brilliant coach whose search for a chip in the UAAP men's stage continues. But there's no shame in losing to this La Salle team that has more weapons than an armory.
Jacob Cortez is one of those rare offspring who lived up to his famous father, a sequel that could perhaps end up better than the original.
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