Jacob Cortez came to the rescue as the crippled La Salle crew dodged a massive upset against winless University of the East with a 111-110 overtime win in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Already without big man Mason Amos, La Salle needed heroes following the injury of Kean Baclaan late in the game. Then Cortez heeded the call in his best game as an Archer since transferring from San Beda in the NCAA.
Cortez delivered in the fourth quarter and overtime, firing 17 of his 26 points to will the Green Archers from 11 points down. It ended a two-game losing streak and kept La Salle in the thick of the Final Four race with a 3-3 slate.
The victory neutralized the 42 points of UE’s Precious Momowei, the first 40-point game in the UAAP in eight years.
Baclaan posted 17 before hurting his right leg after a hard drive against Wello Lingolingo, who was whistled with an unsportsmanlike foul leading to his ejection after a previous technical foul. The call did not sit well with UE coach Chris Gavina.
Baclaan had to be wheeled out of the court with no word yet on the extent of his injury