By MARK REY MONTEJO
Jacob Cortez dazzled in his UAAP debut, powering De La Salle University to a 60-58 victory over Adamson to kick off their redemption campaign in the Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 20.
With both teams struggling offensively, the shifty 5-foot-11 guard rose to the occasion and showcased his craftiness, particularly with a slick inside move that helped the Green Archers reclaim the lead, 57-56, against the pesky Falcons with a minute remaining.
The son of former PBA star Mike Cortez capped his clutch performance with a brilliant assist to Mason Amos, who knocked down his second three-pointer of the game from the right corner with 7.9 seconds remaining. Adamson responded on the next possession but ultimately fell short.
He finished with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Skipper Mike Phillips, as expected, paced La Salle with a double-double performance of 17 points and 16 rebounds on top of one assist, three steals, and four blocks. Lebron Daep, meanwhile, scored eight points in his maiden game in the league.
Adamson team captain Cedrick Manzano tried to lift his squad by firing 19 points, nine rebounds, one assist, and one block, but his efforts were still futile. Matty Erolon also scored 10 points, which all went down the drain.
La Salle had a sluggish start but found its rhythm in the second quarter, rallying from a 15-18 deficit to take a 33-25 lead at halftime.
In the third period, Manzano powered Adamson with a personal 7-0 run to tie the game at 41-all. But the momentum was short-lived as Cortez and Phillips teamed up to help La Salle regain the lead, 49-46.
The same duo sustained their strong play in the final quarter, making key defensive stops, while Amos stepped up in the clutch to help fend off the Nash Racela-mentored Falcons in the closing minutes.
The scores:
DLSU (60) – Phillips 17, Cortez 16, Daep 8, Amos 6, Gollena 3, Marasigan 3, Abadam 2, Dungo 2, Nwankwo 2, Baclaan 1, Macalalag 0, Gomez 0, Pablo 0.
AdU (58) – Manzano 19, Erolon 10, Torres 8, Fransman 5, Medina 5, Ojarikre 4, Perez 4, Tumaneng 2, Anabu 1, Montebon 0, Demisana 0, Barcelona 0, C. Ronzone 0, A. Ronzone 0.
Quarterscores: 15-18, 33-25, 49-46, 60-58
