Coincidence, confidence, clutch: Jacob Cortez shoots La Salle into UAAP finals

Jacob Cortez had all the credit in the bank after his bounce back performances against Ateneo de Manila University in the final day of eliminations and National University in Game 1 of the Final Four.

Instead of biding his time and playing timid, he cashed in and displayed a subsequent career game to send La Salle into their third straight UAAP finals appearance.

Looking past his 29-point performance, it was the timing of his baskets and the difficulty he endeavored to make them are what made Cortez’s semifinals showing all the more special.

However, for those who have followed Cortez’s collegiate career thus far, they would know that the young guard has been calling ball games ever since his time in Mendiola.

Similar to the achievement of La Salle this season, Cortez’s San Beda University in NCAA Season 99 overcame a twice-to-beat disadvantage versus Lyceum of the Philippines University.

In San Beda’s first win against LPU, 89-68, the combo guard put collegiate basketball on notice as he uncorked 28 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

Apart from the similarities in circumstance his two teams had been dealt with, the rising guard hopes to replicate the same conclusion; by hoisting another collegiate trophy.

“I’ve been in that position before, overcoming a twice-to-beat. Same thing, we had a lot of doubters. Like people counted us out,” Cortez said.

“This is my dream. To play for La Salle…I actually watched them when they won the championship. And now I’m in that spot where I’m in the finals with them.”

As fate would additionally have it, the five-foot-eleven cager also recreated his father’s feat, as a young Mike Cortez helped La Salle eliminate the Bulldogs in UAAP Season 64 Final Four 24 years ago.

With a chance to go all the way just like his dad did, Cortez said that he is not only dedicating this upcoming finals series to the Lasallian community, but also to his family who has been with him every step of the way.

“When those two games where I played really bad, I called him. And he got mad at me. He was like, ‘Now you wanna talk to me?’,” the DLSU lead guard quipped.

[But] it would be really big. I want to win it for him,” Cortez confessed.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News