De La Salle University rarely hosts games with a live audience on campus, which is why Jacob Cortez cherished the experience of playing in front of their home crowd for the first time.
The Villavicencio Court at the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center hosted the NSAC College Basketball Campus Tour quarterfinals on Saturday, highlighted by the matchup between the Green Archers and the FEU Tamaraws.
In poetic fashion, the predominantly green-clad crowd played a major role in La Salle’s thrilling 84-83 come-from-behind victory over FEU, sending the Green Archers to the semifinals.
Trailing 78-82 with 2:07 remaining, La Salle drew energy from its home supporters as it mounted one final push against the Tamaraws.
After Janrey Pasaol split his free throws with 1:18 left to give FEU an 83-82 lead, both teams exchanged empty possessions, setting the stage for Cortez’s defining moment.
(C) Asiabasket
With the Tamaraws already in the penalty, Mo Konateh intentionally fouled Cortez with 9.02 seconds remaining after Pasaol cramped up on the other end.
Feeding off the energy of the home crowd, Cortez calmly knocked down both free throws as the Green Archers held on for the dramatic win.
“It was great. It’s a very big boost, especially in the dying minutes when we were down. Just a little pop from the crowd was what helped us in this game,” said Cortez about the rare home-court experience.
“Siyempre, thank God because a lot of times na split ko yung free throws. I guess I can say home court advantage na pasok ‘yung dalawa,” he added.
La Salle’s home court, an intimate venue with a seating capacity of less than 500, proved to be a perfect setting for the Green Archers, who now advance to face the UST Growling Tigers in the semifinals.
Cortez finished with 15 points and 11 assists in the victory, with none bigger than the final two points that punched La Salle’s ticket to the semis and sent the home crowd into celebration.
“Saya siyempre. Coming into the game, they were fixing the court, we were like, paano kaya ito, how will they set it up, how’s the crowd gonna fit? It played out well. We hope to have more games here,” he said.
Truly, home is where the heart is, as the Green Archers looked completely at ease even after the game, heading straight to the weight room before joining the waiting fans for some postgame fan service.
