Kean Baclaan lit the fuse, Jacob Cortez detonated the fireworks, and the DLSU Green Archers emerged from the ashes of a 21-point deficit to snatch a heart-stopping 111–110 overtime win over the winless UE Warriors.
UE came out roaring, building what felt like an insurmountable boulder of a lead, and for a moment, La Salle fans were holding their collective breath. But in modern Gen Z basketball, 20+ point leads are no longer the death knell they once were. Momentum is king, and the Green Archers weren’t about to surrender.
Enter Kean Baclaan. The former NU Bulldog ignited La Salle’s third-quarter comeback, attacking UE’s interior defense with a reckless kind of brilliance that reminded everyone this game wasn’t going quietly.
By the end of the third, the 21-point mountain was reduced to a manageable single digit, and Baclaan wasn’t done yet. His fourth-quarter surge sliced the lead into single digits with five minutes still on the clock.
UE, sensing the tides turning, got physical. At 4:20 remaining, a loose-ball scramble spiraled into chaos: Wello Lingolingo landed on Baclaan’s knee and was promptly ejected. The crowd erupted into a Lingolingo boo-fest, while Earl Abadam calmly sank two free throws, trimming the deficit to 89–86.
From there, the final minutes became a pendulum swinging with ferocity. John Abate drove to tie it for UE, Cortez responded with a bucket and La Salle back up 91–88.
The lead danced back and forth, each possession a tense chess move of isolation drives, layups, and high-pressure triples. Cortez converted a three-point play. UE tied it. The sequence was dizzying.
With 1:17 left, Cortez drained a triple to push La Salle ahead 98–93, a five-point cushion that felt safe yet fragile.
UE wasn’t about to give up. Momowei scored inside. Cortez missed a crucial three-pointer. And with 11.3 seconds remaining, Abate drove, drew a foul from Motor Mike Phillips, and converted just one of two free throws. Since the foul was upgraded to unsportsmanlike, UE retained possession. Abate found Momowei, who finished inside: 98–98, five seconds left. Overtime loomed.
And overtime is La Salle time.
Cortez, ice-cold under pressure, became untouchable. He drove, drew fouls, hit clutch free throws, faked, spun, and drained a fallaway jumper with 23 seconds left, putting La Salle ahead 110–107. Momowei missed a desperate layup. Cortez split free throws. Abate hit a buzzer-beating three—it was too funny because it was too late.
Final score: 111–110. DLSU Green Archers secure win #3 going deep into the first round.
Cortez finished with 25 points, sustaining the amazing Baclaan comeback and overtime heroics. Breakout game Abadam added 18, dominating the midrange and providing the offensive and defensive muscle when La Salle needed it most. The bench, clutch free throws, and sheer willpower carried the day for the Taft ballers, who are desperately needing good results.
For La Salle fans, it was relief. A nail-biter against the league’s cellar-dwellers who played the game of their season. But hey—a win is a win. La Salle moves to 3–3 in the standings.
ANIMO LA SALLE!
