History didn’t just repeat itself for Jacob Cortez—it came full circle in the most poetic way imaginable.
Exactly two years to the day after he led the San Beda Red Lions to the NCAA Season 99 crown, the 5-foot-11 guard stood once again under the bright lights of the SMART Araneta Coliseum to achieve another lifelong dream.
On Wednesday, Cortez and the De La Salle Green Archers dethroned the UP Fighting Maroons, 80-72, in a winner-take-all Game 3 to claim the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Championship.
For the newly crowned champion, the coincidence was deeply sentimental, prompting reflection on his journey before the final showdown.
“I went through my phone earlier this morning, and these apps showed memories,” said the second-generation Green Archer.
“Exactly two years ago, I won with San Beda. Coincidentally, Coach Topex (Robinson) was the analyst. I don’t know why. Who would have known two years later on the same day, I’d win for him, with him, for my dream school La Salle. It’s amazing how God works.”
La Salle’s path to redemption, however, was far from easy. The Green Archers faced suspensions, injuries, and doubts from the Lasallian community during the season’s low points.
After dropping a nail-biter in Game 2, Cortez sought comfort in his old lion’s den.
He connected with former teammate Yukien Andrada, a reminder of the San Beda brotherhood that shaped him.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Shout out to San Beda man, they won also,” the 5-foot-11 guard said.
“I spoke with Yukien Andrada when we lost game two. He said you got this and encouraged me. I was saying, ‘Yukes, ang dali ng buhay niyo dun’ because they had the advantage. Him and Ralph Penuela would talk to me and make me relax really.”
That encouragement proved timely in the frantic final minutes of Game 3. When UP guard Rey Remogat hit a three to give the Fighting Maroons a 67-64 lead with 4:15 remaining, hope surged in the State U gallery.
But Cortez and the Green Archers did not falter. Mason Amos, Vhoris Marasigan, and Cortez combined for an 8-0 run that flipped the deficit into a 72-67 lead with 1:26 to go, paving La Salle’s way to redemption.
“Speechless. UP put up a good fight,” Cortez admitted. “Remogat hit a big shot, but then again, our guys just stick together whatever he does. That was a really, really big shot in less than 3-4 minutes.
“They thought that when they had momentum on their side, we just gathered up, relaxed and stayed composed. I didn’t have to say that. They were looking at themselves. Free throws, again, they said we were a bad free throw team. I think that’s what won us the game.”
The Game 3 victory also highlighted the trust and synergy between Cortez, his teammates, and coach Robinson.
After UP’s Game 2 box-one scheme successfully stifled Cortez, Robinson listened to his players’ feedback, leading La Salle to play three big men for most of Game 3.
The strategy, though risky, allowed the Green Archers to score 40 points in the paint to UP’s 28 and contained the Fighting Maroons’ big men, aside from Nigerian student-athlete Francis Nnoruka, who still recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“The adjustment we made in game three was Jacob’s recommendation. Mike [Phillips] backed it up,” Robinson said.
“I said, ‘What did I say about gambling?’ The team that will gamble will win the championship. Who would have thought we were gonna go with three bigs? What’s important was the trust. Sabi ko sa kanila, di bale matalo sa sugal kaysa yung nag-iingat tayo.”
Cortez also praised Robinson’s flexibility.
“We kinda knew after game one that they were gonna do whatever it takes,” he said. “Game three, coach made the right adjustments. But that fuel, that competitiveness, that’s what makes it fun for me.
“Coach made big adjustments, and those are what made us win this game.”
With the championship trophy back in Taft, Cortez has cemented a rare and storied legacy. He now joins an elite group of players who have won titles in both of the country’s premier collegiate leagues—following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Mike, to become a champion Green Archer.
