UNDER the brightest lights and in the biggest game of his green-and-white career so far, Jacob Cortez proved once again that he's a primetime player.
The second-generation Green Archer made the pivotal plays late to bring La Salle the big-time 78-72 victory vs. archrival Ateneo Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum - in the process, claiming the last Final Four spot in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball tournament.
Cortez got the backbreaking stop, disrupting the passing lane and stealing Jared Bahay's pass to Dom Escobar before drilling the backbreaker jumper with 12.4 seconds left to make it a 76-72 affair.
Mike Phillips would then seal the deal, intercepting the ensuing inbound pass before canning his freebies, as the green-and-white avoided complications and now moves on to a semifinals showdown with top seed and twice-to-beat National U.
The Blue Eagles (6-8), meanwhile, miss out on the Final Four for the second straight year under multi-titled mentor Tab Baldwin. Far Eastern U (7-7), which also needed a La Salle loss to stay alive, also had its hopes dashed.
Clutch Cortez
Those pivotal plays on both ends punctuated Cortez' 20-point night, going 9-of-12 from the field, as he also corralled seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal to end the Green Archers' elimination run at 8-6.
Phillips tallied 13 points, 16 boards, four assists, and two steals, while Vhoris Marasigan got 12 points and three rebounds before his ejection with 2:34 left to play.
It was a huge fightback from La Salle which rallied from 10 points down in the third frame, 55-45, yet kept its composure before doing the damage in the fourth, outscoring its fiercest foes, 22-12, in the payoff period.
"I always tell these guys that we're all part of this moment right now, so make lasting memories," said coach Topex Robinson, as the Green Archers, with 12,008 present inside the Big Dome, got back that 81-74 defeat to their archrivals last Oct. 5.
Escobar paced Ateneo with 18 points and four rebounds and SEA Games-bound Kymani Ladi added 13 points and seven boards, as they wrapped up their one-and-done year in Katipunan.
Divine Adili nabbed a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, Bahay had 11 points, six boards, and three assists, and Waki Espina stepped up with 10 points and four rebounds in this gallant stand.
The Scores:
LA SALLE 78 - Cortez 20, Phillips 13, Marasigan 12, Pablo 9, Macalalag 8, Abadam 7, Melencio 5, Dungo 4, Quines 0, Amos 0.
ATENEO 72 - Escobar 18, Ladi 13, Adili 11, Bahay 11, Espina 10, Espinosa 4, Lazaro 3, Tuano 2, Lazo 0, Fjellvang 0, Bongo 0.
Quarters: 20-18, 37-38, 56-60, 78-72.
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