MANILA — De La Salle University pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent UAAP history, knocking out top-ranked National University, 78-73, to become only the third No. 4 seed ever to barge into the men’s basketball Finals.
In a win that underscored their late-season surge and steely resolve, the Green Archers completed their stunning dethronement bid of the Bulldogs in Saturday’s do-or-die Final Four showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The victory sent La Salle back to the UAAP Season 88 Finals, where it will renew its championship rivalry with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in their third straight title meeting.
Head coach Topex Robinson said the gritty triumph reflected the team’s turbulent but character-building season.
“If you’re gonna define how our season went, it’s really something we should be grateful for. That really tested the character of the team… it was a really nip-and-tuck affair, but these guys really showed up, they manned up, and they came out smarter in the second half,” Robinson said.
The Archers, who forced the knockout match with an 87-77 Game 1 victory, outlasted NU behind the late-game heroics of Jacob Cortez, who delivered one clutch basket after another.
Cortez first drained a cold-blooded step-back three from the corner to seize the lead. After NU’s PJ Palacielo tied the game with a split at the line, Cortez answered with a smooth mid-range jumper for a 74-72 edge with 56.3 seconds left.
Another NU opportunity went to waste when Reinhard Jumamoy committed a costly turnover, allowing Cortez to stretch the lead with a trip to the stripe.
“I wanna give credit to my teammates and coaches. We worked so hard for this moment,” said Cortez, who erupted for 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists.
La Salle also drew 14 points from Earl Abadam and 10 from Vhoris Marasigan, while team captain Michael Phillips tallied eight points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in an all-around effort.
Graduating Bulldog Jake Figueroa capped his NU career with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Fellow seniors Jolo Manansala and Palacielo contributed 13 apiece.
La Salle and UP begin their best-of-three championship series on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The Archers won the crown two seasons ago before the Maroons reclaimed it last year./PN
