Jacob Cortez made his much-awaited return to the court, but it was not enough to prevent De La Salle University from suffering a costly defeat as National University moved within one win of securing its fifth consecutive Final Four appearance in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After missing La Salle’s back-to-back victories over the University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo de Manila University, Cortez returned to action against the Bulldogs on Sunday, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in 18:25 minutes of play.
However, the Green Archers ultimately fell short, 80-84, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The defeat left La Salle alone in fourth place with a 6-5 record, adding pressure to its remaining elimination-round assignments.
Despite the setback, Cortez stressed the importance of moving forward, with the Green Archers still having plenty to play for.
“I feel like both teams played well,” said Cortez. “NU just played better. For me, I’m glad to be back. Though I got hurt again in the fourth quarter, I have one week to recover, and we, as a team, have one week to prepare for our next matchup against Adamson. We’re just gonna take it game-by-game now.
“Like I said before, every game is crucial, and NU did a good job today.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The two-time collegiate champion acknowledged that La Salle could have been more cohesive defensively, particularly after holding NU to just 11 points in the third quarter.
However, he also recognized the Bulldogs’ ability to adjust to the Green Archers’ defensive schemes and capitalize on crucial opportunities down the stretch.
After trailing 70-77, La Salle mounted a late comeback to take an 80-79 lead behind consecutive baskets from Cortez, Earl Abadam, and Doy Dungo.
However, the Green Archers surrendered a go-ahead three-pointer to Paul Francisco before failing to convert on their ensuing possessions. PJ Palacielo then put the game away with two free throws with under five seconds remaining.
“It’s just that we gotta start playing from the first quarter,” said Cortez.
“We made a lot of lapses in the first half. We could have played better in the first half, like how we played in the third quarter. It’s just about locking in as a team. Then again, we have one week to figure things out to fix our sense of urgency.”
La Salle will close out its elimination-round campaign against Adamson University next Sunday before taking on the University of the Philippines on November 22 and Far Eastern University on November 28.
Cortez expects another difficult challenge against the Soaring Falcons, whom he described as the league’s “best defensive team.”
Having lost to all three remaining opponents in the first round, the Green Archers will be out for redemption while fighting to secure a place in this year’s Final Four.
The urgency is especially high for Cortez, who is helping lead La Salle’s bid for its first back-to-back championships since Season 64.
With only three elimination-round games left, the two-time champion knows that his collegiate career could be on the line if the Green Archers fail to make the Final Four.
“Last three games — it could be my last three games if we don’t make the Final Four. We’re just gonna take it day-by-day and game-by-game.”
