Serial winner Jacob Cortez spills secret to La Salle clutch gene: Keep it fun

MANILA, Philippines – Game in doubt? Jacob Cortez will close things out.

Sure enough, La Salle had the “Cool Cub’s” number on speed dial as it withstood a 34-point bomb from Harold Alarcon and outlasted defending UAAP men’s basketball champion UP, 74-70, courtesy of a patented game-winning Cortez step-back triple with 27.4 seconds left in regulation.

Time and time again, the former NCAA champion star from San Beda delivered the goods for the Green Archers’ injury-plagued and unlikely title push, as he routinely took over in the clutch to lift the program from a last-minute fourth-seeded entry to the cusp of men’s basketball title No. 11.

On Wednesday, December 10, things were no different for La Salle, as Cortez helped the Archers rise from a 58-49 third-quarter hole all the way to a four-point win to set up a potential series sweep on Sunday, December 15.

His secrets are simple and not really surprising: Practice and just keep having fun, no matter what.

“There’s the thought that I have to make the shot, but I’m really comfortable with those [along with] the trust that coach gives me. I still have that big responsibility, but I work on those shots every day,” he said after completing a 21-point, 4-rebound, 2-assist performance on an elite 10-of-15 shooting clip.

“To me it’s fun working on and practicing those. I guess that’s how you can describe how we played, just played [with] fun. Once we start thinking, we get too locked in and we overthink a lot, and that’s when we become tight. So we just want to have fun and play basketball.”

Already a proven winner throughout his years in the collegiate scene, Cortez will look to not give UP an inch come Sunday, as Wednesday’s win actually marked the first time La Salle won Game 1 in its last three finals clashes with the seasoned Fighting Maroons.

In Season 86, the Green Archers got embarrassed in Game 1, 97-67, before taking the next two contests on the back of legendary MVP Kevin Quiambao. La Salle again dropped the Season 87 finals Game 1, 73-65, and again took Game 2, but this time faltered in Game 3 as UP exacted title-winning revenge.

Can La Salle finally not need three games to close out UP? Well, they know who to call to answer that question. – Rappler.com