Cortez, Phillips deliver as Archers oust Eagles
Published Nov 26, 2025 07:17 pm
At A Glance
- Jacob Cortez took charge as De La Salle University 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.
Jacob Cortez took charge as De La Salle University 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, Cortez and Mike Phillips worked together to tow the Green Archers in the payoff period where they took care of business on both ends to frustrate the Blue Eagles.
Tied at 65 midway of the fourth canto, Cortez sparked the offense capped by his jumper that made it 76-72 with 12.4 seconds left.
Phillips, who had several offensive rebounds with one converted to a clutch putback prior, steadied the ship as he calmly sank his two free throws to ice the game.
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 earlier, in the Final Four race.
The Archers finished the eliminations with a 8-6 record at fourth, while Ateneo dropped to 6-8 at sixth spot.
It was also a redemption victory by La Salle as it succumbed in its first encounter with Ateneo, 81-74, last Oct. 5.
A sea of avid supporters set aside their rivalry at the Big Dome for a brief moment to become a powerful symbol of unity, sharing calls for transparency, integrity, and accountability in a country long plagued by systemic corruption.
Cortez, who is plunging into his first UAAP semis, stood out for La Salle with a game-high 20 points, which 12 came in the fourth, along with three rebounds, seven assists, and one steal, while the 6-foot-9 Phillips finished with a double-double effort of 13 points and 16 rebounds on top of four assists and two steals.
“For that shot, I don’t know. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid, counting down by yourself, and there’s no better way to do it than in an Ateneo-La Salle crucial game,” said Cortez.
Also steering the Archers were Vhoris Marasigan, who was ejected in the latter part of the game due to a disqualifying foul, and Luis Pablo who chipped in 12 and nine points, respectively. JC Macalalag and Earl Abadam conspired for 15 points.
Dom Escobar topscored for Ateneo with 18 points which went with four rebounds, one assist, and one steal, while Kymani Ladi posted 13 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal as the two one-and-done players, including Jaden Lazo, bid farewell to the Katipunan-based squad.
Before getting fouled out in the final frame, Divine Adili managed to produce 11 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. Jared Bahay and Waki Espina added 11 and 10 points in a losing cause.
The scores:
DLSU 78 – Cortez 20, Phillips 13, Marasigan 12, Pablo 9, Macalalag 8, Abadam 7, Melencio 5, Dungo 4, Quines 0, Amos 0.
Ateneo 72 – Escobar 18, Ladi 13, Adili 11, Bahay 11, Espina 10, Espinosa 4, Lazaro 3, Tuano 2, Lazo 0, Fjellvang 0, Bongo 0.
Quarters: 20-18, 37-38, 56-60, 78-72.