Jacob Cortez made his much-awaited return to the court, but it was not enough to prevent De La Salle University from suffering a costly defeat as National University moved within one win of securing its fifth consecutive Final Four appearance in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament.

After missing La Salle’s back-to-back victories over the University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo de Manila University, Cortez returned to action against the Bulldogs on Sunday, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in 18:25 minutes of play.

However, the Green Archers ultimately fell short, 80-84, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The defeat left La Salle alone in fourth place with a 6-5 record, adding pressure to its remaining elimination-round assignments.

Despite the setback, Cortez stressed the importance of moving forward, with the Green Archers still having plenty to play for.

“I feel like both teams played well,” said Cortez. “NU just played better. For me, I’m glad to be back. Though I got hurt again in the fourth quarter, I have one week to recover, and we, as a team, have one week to prepare for our next matchup against Adamson. We’re just gonna take it game-by-game now.

“Like I said before, every game is crucial, and NU did a good job today.”

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

The two-time collegiate champion acknowledged that La Salle could have been more cohesive defensively, particularly after holding NU to just 11 points in the third quarter.

However, he also recognized the Bulldogs’ ability to adjust to the Green Archers’ defensive schemes and capitalize on crucial opportunities down the stretch.

After trailing 70-77, La Salle mounted a late comeback to take an 80-79 lead behind consecutive baskets from Cortez, Earl Abadam, and Doy Dungo.

However, the Green Archers surrendered a go-ahead three-pointer to Paul Francisco before failing to convert on their ensuing possessions. PJ Palacielo then put the game away with two free throws with under five seconds remaining.

“It’s just that we gotta start playing from the first quarter,” said Cortez.

“We made a lot of lapses in the first half. We could have played better in the first half, like how we played in the third quarter. It’s just about locking in as a team. Then again, we have one week to figure things out to fix our sense of urgency.”

La Salle will close out its elimination-round campaign against Adamson University next Sunday before taking on the University of the Philippines on November 22 and Far Eastern University on November 28.

Cortez expects another difficult challenge against the Soaring Falcons, whom he described as the league’s “best defensive team.”

Having lost to all three remaining opponents in the first round, the Green Archers will be out for redemption while fighting to secure a place in this year’s Final Four.

The urgency is especially high for Cortez, who is helping lead La Salle’s bid for its first back-to-back championships since Season 64.

With only three elimination-round games left, the two-time champion knows that his collegiate career could be on the line if the Green Archers fail to make the Final Four.

“Last three games — it could be my last three games if we don’t make the Final Four. We’re just gonna take it day-by-day and game-by-game.”

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Amiel Acido embraced his role as the go-to guy, delivering in the clutch to power the University of Santo Tomas past Far Eastern University, 86-85, and revive the Growling Tigers’ Final Four hopes in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

The third-year forward knocked down the big shots down the stretch to snap UST’s three-game losing streak and secure its first victory of the second round. The Growling Tigers improved to 5-6, tying the Ateneo Blue Eagles for fifth and sixth place in the standings.

The win also brought UST within a game of third- and fourth-running FEU and De La Salle University, which earlier fell to National University.

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

“These two guys, Amiel and Landyn, they played their hearts out. Mga shooter eh, minsan ang problema ko pa sa kanila they don’t want to shoot enough. Amiel, I’m just telling him to shoot; he should have a minimum of eight three-point shots per game, pero ayaw eh, masyadong mabait pero okay lang,” said UST assistant coach Peter Martin.

With the Growling Tigers clinging to a one-point lead, Acido came up with a crucial three-pointer. Cabs Cabonillas answered with a triple of his own, however, keeping the Tamaraws within striking distance at 83-82 with 1:32 remaining.

Acido was not done yet, drilling another shot from beyond the arc to extend UST’s lead to 86-82 with 1:12 left.

FEU had four more opportunities to respond from long range but missed all four attempts before Jorick Bautista finally connected at the buzzer. His triple, however, came too late to save the Tamaraws.

Acido finished with 23 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting from the field, alongside three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

One-and-done guard Landyn Jumawan also delivered a breakout performance with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Mark Llemit chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Growling Tigers also completed a season sweep of the Tamaraws, having won their first-round encounter, 81-69, behind a strong second-half surge.

UST will look to build on its momentum when it faces the University of the East on Wednesday, still at the Big Dome. The Red Warriors are coming off their first victory in two years, which they secured on Saturday.

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

FEU, meanwhile, saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and will try to bounce back against the University of the Philippines on Saturday.

Bautista led the Tamaraws with 27 points, four assists, and two rebounds, but his effort went unrewarded.

Kirby Mongcopa added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Cabonillas also finished with 14 points.

Reigning MVP Janrey Pasaol endured a difficult shooting night, making just two of his 15 attempts from the field to finish with six points. He did, however, dish out eight assists.

The Scores:

UST (86) –Acido 23, Jumawan 18, Llemit 16, Cañete 9, Akowe 8, Porter 4, Chio 3, Buenaflor 3, Sevilla 2, Bucsit 0, Esteban 0.

FEU (85) – Bautista 27, Mongcopa 14, Cabonilas 14, Konateh 9, Gish 9, Pasaol 6, Daa 5, Burgos 1, Nakai 0, Felipe 0.

Quarterscores: 19-24, 43-45, 69-63, 86-85

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While University of the East finally celebrated the end of its 30-game losing streak, Adamson University was left to absorb the painful distinction of being the team on the other end of the Red Warriors’ long-awaited breakthrough.

Despite the disappointment, Soaring Falcons head coach Nash Racela made sure his team displayed sportsmanship after UE’s 53-47 victory over Adamson, leading the customary post-game handshakes and exchanging smiles with the opposition.

The defeat extended Adamson’s winless run in the second round of the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament.

For the Season 78 champion mentor, as painful as the loss was, UE deserved the victory, especially after the Red Warriors dug deep to finally snap their skid following narrow defeats against the likes of De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines.

“UE deserved the win,” said Racela.

“That’s something we talked about before the game: if you want to get your first win of the second round, you really have to get it.”

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

Perhaps the clearest indication of Adamson’s struggles came in the final frame, when the Soaring Falcons managed just one field goal throughout the entire fourth quarter.

Matt Erolon’s three-pointer at the 2:51 mark, which pulled Adamson within three at 47-50, proved to be the team’s lone field goal in the period as the Falcons struggled to mount a comeback.

Racela could only watch from the sidelines as his squad failed to find its shooting touch.

While the Soaring Falcons intend to dissect their performance when they return to the drawing board, the former Talk ‘N Text mentor lamented the struggles of his primary trio of Monty Montebon, Erolon, and Ray Allen Torres, who combined for a dismal 3-of-30 shooting clip from the field.

“We have to watch the video, but it’s hard to battle when your top three, supposedly, cannot shoot a basket,” he said.

“I think they had legit looks naman.”

Now carrying a four-game losing streak and a 4-7 record after opening the second round without a victory, Adamson faces an uphill battle with remaining assignments against Ateneo de Manila University, La Salle, and the University of Santo Tomas.

With their margin for error shrinking with each game, the Soaring Falcons have little choice but to regroup, keep fighting, and make the most of their remaining opportunities.

“Just continue the fight,” said Racela.

“Continue the fight, and hopefully we’ll pull through.”

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