By MARK REY MONTEJO
The revenge was extra sweet for La Salle.
Jacob Cortez took charge in the clutch as the Archers struck back at archrival Ateneo, 78-72, to seal the last Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, Nov. 26.
With the crucial tiff living up to the hype of a finals atmosphere, Cortez and Phillips worked hand-and-hand in the payoff period where they took care of business on both ends to put to waste the strong start from the Blue Eagles.
Apart from booking its semifinal ticket against league-leading National University, the Taft-based squad eliminated Ateneo as well Far Eastern University, which beat semis-bound University of Santo Tomas, 81-79.
Before a sea of white as 12,008-strong supporters set aside their traditional blue and green, the Big Dome became a powerful symbol of unity, gathering thousands behind a shared call for transparency, integrity, and accountability in a country long plagued by systemic corruption.
