Jacob Cortez delivered his rivalry-game moment in the fourth quarter to lift De La Salle University into the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Final Four, outlasting Ateneo de Manila University, 78-72, before a crowd of 12,008 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
Cortez scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a dagger jumper over Waki Espina that gave the Green Archers a 76-72 lead with 12.4 seconds remaining.
The basket capped a remarkable turnaround for La Salle, which trailed by 11 late in the third quarter, 47-58. Earl Abadam, Luis Pablo, and Vhoris Marasigan combined to reduce the deficit to four points entering the fourth, 56-60.
“These are the times that I was dreaming of when I was young, watching Ateneo-La Salle games, and I always tell these guys that you’re part of this moment right now, so make sure that you’re gonna make lasting memories,” said Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson.
“During the first half, we were struggling because we were so over our emotions and we forgot to trust each other. Just give credit to these guys. They (Cortez and Phillips) really took care of us.”
Cortez finished with 20 points on a brilliant 9-of-12 shooting from the field while also dishing out seven assists. His jump shots in the fourth quarter set the stage for a down-to-the-wire finish.
Espina’s circus layup with 1:09 remaining proved to be the Blue Eagles’ final points, tying the game at 72. Mike Phillips then made a hustle play with 46.4 seconds left, converting his own rebound to put the Green Archers ahead.
“For that shot (with 12.4 seconds left), I don’t know. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid, counting down by yourself, and there’s no better way to do it than in an Ateneo-La Salle crucial game,” said Cortez, who redeemed himself after shooting 1-of-6 from the free throw line.
La Salle finished the elimination round with an 8-6 record, tied with the UST Growling Tigers, who hold the tiebreaker and will enter the semifinals as the third seed.
The Green Archers will face top-seeded National University in a twice-to-beat semifinal, having lost twice to the Bulldogs in the eliminations. UST will battle second-ranked University of the Philippines in the other bracket.
Phillips contributed 13 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Luis Pablo and JC Macalalag added nine and eight points, respectively.
Marasigan, who scored 12 points and had three assists, was ejected after an unsportsmanlike foul (category 2) against Divine Adili at the 2:34 mark of the fourth quarter, in addition to an earlier technical foul at 2:02 of the third quarter.
Dom Escobar led Ateneo in his final game for the team with 18 points and four rebounds, while fellow one-and-done player Kymani Ladi added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Adili recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 1:28 remaining, while Jared Bahay and Espina contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ateneo lifer Josh Lazaro and Jaden Lazo also played their final games in Blue Eagles uniforms.
Meanwhile, FEU, which defeated UST 81-79, was eliminated after La Salle’s victory over Ateneo, missing the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season.
The Scores:
DLSU (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.
Quarterscores: 20-18, 37-38, 56-60, 78-72
