Jacob Cortez delivers cold-blooded dagger as La Salle seizes Game 1 thriller over UP

In a UAAP Finals opener built for heroes and heartbreak, Jacob Cortez needed only a few seconds—not momentum, rhythm, or even a warm-up—to remind everyone why pressure seems to bring out his best.

Cold after sitting nearly five minutes, Cortez stepped back into the fire and drilled the shot that defined Game 1. His clutch triple with 27.4 seconds left proved to be the separator in De La Salle University’s gritty 74–70 win over the University of the Philippines on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The moment didn’t just silence the sea of maroon in the crowd of 18,210—it swung a game where the Green Archers had to claw out of a nine-point deficit, withstand a career performance from Harold Alarcon, and survive tense free-throw misses in the final stretch.

“Knowing that this is gonna be something that is an emotionally-packed game, we’re just fortunate and blessed that we were able to sustain the onslaught of Harold Alarcon. He really took over,” said La Salle head coach Topex Robinson. “We just didn’t stop when UP was making those big runs.”

And UP made plenty of them.

Alarcon’s 34 points—the most in a Finals game since Thirdy Ravena’s legendary 38 in 2018—kept the Fighting Maroons alive even when La Salle surged late. His fastbreak layup with 46.5 seconds left cut the deficit to one, 70–71, prompting Robinson to send Cortez back into the game.

What followed was pure nerve.

COOL CUB ON CLUTCH

Jacob Cortez goes on clutch mode and scores a crucial triple for the DLSU Green Archers against the UP Fighting Maroons in the fourth quarter of the #UAAPSeason88 men’s basketball tournament Finals Game 1! #StrengthInMotionHopeInAction pic.twitter.com/pagRE5flNj

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) December 10, 2025

Guarded tightly by Reyland Torres, Cortez created space, rose, and buried the shot that pushed La Salle ahead 74–70. It became the dagger after UP’s Terrence Fortea missed two long-range attempts in the game’s dying moments.

“I just like to give credit to Kean and kay Doy. Doy stayed ready… Kean did a good job playing off the bench for me. I’m just so proud of them,” Cortez said, finishing with 21 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting.

La Salle’s win, however, wasn’t just about one shot.

The Green Archers’ rally—from down 49–58 late in the third—started with grit plays, steady ball movement, and a defense that sharpened as the game grew tighter. Mike Phillips sparked the comeback with a thunderous dunk, Luis Pablo tied the game from the line, and later hit the shot that wrestled the lead back for good at the 3:26 mark.

Sophomore guard Doy Dungo added 15 points, matching Alarcon’s early shot-making. Kean Baclaan delivered nine points and six assists, while Phillips nearly posted a double-double with seven points and nine rebounds. Pablo had seven points, six boards, and three blocks.

Despite the loss, UP’s Alarcon delivered one of the finest Finals performances in recent memory, shooting 12-of-22 and carrying the Maroons through scoring droughts. Francis Nnoruka contributed 13 points, while Rey Remogat, though limited to three points, pitched in with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

The victory gives the fourth-seeded Green Archers a chance to complete their improbable rise and capture the championship in Game 2 on Sunday. UP, meanwhile, must force a decisive Game 3—something they’ve proven capable of doing before.

La Salle may have swept all three meetings with UP this season, but Wednesday’s thriller made one thing clear: this trilogy is far from over.

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