For a change, Cortez sits on edge he’s used to battling
Things took a positive turn for Jacob Cortez after Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 Finals on Wednesday night.
Initially known as someone who constantly had to hurdle twice-to-win disadvantages, Cortez and La Salle flipped the script, virtually securing a twice-to-beat incentive on their path to the Season 88 championship.
In fact, even before he stepped into his first UAAP Finals, Cortez acknowledged his knack for rising to the occasion whenever obstacles were placed in front of him.
“Before this game, I watched my last Final Four game with San Beda. Coincidentally, we also wore white, we sat on the same bench, on the same side of the Araneta Coliseum. I guess that’s manifestation for you,” he told the Inquirer after booting National U out of the Final Four.
The series Cortez was referring to was, of course, his final stint with the Red Lions in 2023.
Back in Season 99, Cortez and the Mendiola-based squad had to beat an Enoch Valdez-led Lyceum team twice to reach the NCAA Finals.
They did just that before eventually defeating Mapua for the NCAA crown. Soon after, Cortez moved to Taft to join La Salle and, for a while, not much seemed to change.
Even with a star-stacked lineup, the Green Archers had to deal with a twice-to-win disadvantage against the Bulldogs in the semifinals after an injury-plagued elimination round.
After Game 1 of the season-ending series against defending champion University of the Philippines—where La Salle escaped with a 74-70 win at Mall of Asia Arena—Cortez now holds what he spent the past two years fighting against.
Instead of celebrating it, though, the former San Beda standout chose to stay grounded despite the newfound incentive.
Game 2 on Sunday
“I don’t even have to urge my teammates to stay composed, which is crazy to me,” Cortez said, fresh off a stellar performance where he finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal against the Fighting Maroons.
“That just shows our maturity and the type of maturity we have. It shows how locked in I am and we are. We’re focused on winning this series. I didn’t need to tell them anything.”
If anything, the NCAA champion guard doesn’t want their advantage to go to waste.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, La Salle will have to close out the reigning UAAP kings this Sunday at the same venue.
That, of course, is easier said than done.
“We know UP will come out harder with different stuff in the next game, so we have to stay ready.”
