Best Player of the Game - Jacob Cortez vs. Mapua (Finals Game 2) | NCAA Season 99
After their Game 1 loss to the Mapua Cardinals, what preparations did Jacob Cortez make coming into Game 2 of the Finals? #NCAASeason99 #GMASports
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00:00 So, now we're going to talk to the players of San Beda Red Lions.
00:05 We have here with us, Coach Benji for the coverage.
00:08 Now, we turn you over to one of our reporters,
00:11 with us today is Jacob.
00:14 Oh, no, no, no. Jacob will be here, rather.
00:16 No, no, turn you over to Jacob Cortez now.
00:18 He's a clarification.
00:20 Let's throw it over to our reporter.
00:23 All right, Jacob, what's up?
00:24 Jacob.
00:25 Hello, hello, hello.
00:26 Okay.
00:27 Jacob, great game, great bounce back performance for you here.
00:30 You struggled in game number one.
00:32 You were a marked man.
00:34 But today you showed us the aggression.
00:36 You were attacking the basket, getting a lot of free throws.
00:39 What was the, you know, mindset for you going into this game?
00:43 How did you prepare for game two?
00:45 Well, Coach Yuri told us that in game one, we didn't play like we belong in the finals.
00:51 So that was our motivation as players.
00:55 Good thing we played hard game two.
00:57 As for me, for bouncing back, it's not just me bouncing back.
01:00 All of my teammates played well, and it's all about trusting them as well.
01:04 So I think that's what helped us win.
01:06 Jacob, let's talk about your teammates.
01:08 You faced adversity in this game.
01:10 In the third quarter, Mapua was able to erase your lead
01:14 and was able to take the lead as well, going into the fourth quarter.
01:18 How were you guys able to bounce back?
01:19 What was the conversation like in the third quarter,
01:22 going into the fourth, at the bench and on the court?
01:25 Well, it's all about sticking together with our team.
01:30 We do a good job in that.
01:31 We have trust in each other and we have confidence in each other.
01:34 And we've been through worse.
01:36 And the third quarter was just like a bump in the road.
01:39 So it's all about sticking together as a unit.
01:42 There we go.
01:43 Okay. Hi, Jacob.
01:45 Hello, hello, hello.
01:47 Listen to me. My English has a time limit.
01:50 Okay? After this question, I will distract in a few seconds.
01:54 Okay?
01:55 Okay, Jacob.
01:56 Jacob, your numbers went up.
01:59 Almost doubled.
02:00 Yeah.
02:01 But if we're going to talk about rebounds,
02:03 you only got one rebound during your first game
02:05 and now nine rebounds.
02:06 And you have 22 points.
02:08 Okay.
02:09 Did your dad help you motivate yourself in playing well today?
02:15 Yes, you could say that.
02:18 The main thing he told me was to trust your teammates.
02:21 I don't know if you saw towards the end of the game
02:25 as I started to distribute more.
02:28 I had a good pass to Yukiem and he hit a big shot.
02:32 And even though they were missing,
02:33 I still have faith in them, confidence in them.
02:37 I have confidence in them.
02:38 Okay. So what are you going to expect from you
02:41 this coming Sunday on your third game?
02:44 To play harder.
02:46 Not just me.
02:47 My teammates as well.
02:48 We're going to prepare, prepare
02:50 because we know Mapua is going to come back from this loss.
02:52 And game three, last game of the season.
02:55 All out now. All out.
02:57 All out now.
02:59 Okay.
02:59 That's enough.
03:00 Yes.
03:00 I'm okay.
03:01 Your dad, Jacob, had a hard time with you.
03:04 But again, an excellent performance today.
03:07 Let's talk about the physicality of the Mapua Cardinals
03:10 because we saw you take a hard fall.
03:12 Earlier, you were fouled in midair.
03:15 Not only once.
03:16 Not only once.
03:16 You've been getting hits all throughout the series so far.
03:20 Talk about the physicality
03:21 and how you're able to overcome them
03:24 and bounce back with your performance on the court.
03:26 Well, it's all mental.
03:29 I know coming into this game,
03:31 into the series, actually,
03:33 that's their strategy to play physical with me.
03:37 Since you could say I'm the main man of San Pedro.
03:40 But Coach Fury told me to
03:42 don't show them that.
03:44 And I could take the hits of any.
03:47 It's all about bouncing back and just focus on the game.
03:49 Jacob, we saw you take push-ups
03:52 right after the hard fall.
03:54 But the free throw was an air ball.
03:55 The free throw was an air ball.
03:56 He was so into the push-up.
03:58 So you know he's getting into something after.
04:00 How were you after that fall, Jacob?
04:01 Are you okay?
04:02 I was more motivated, actually.
04:04 Oh, okay.
04:05 So...
04:06 Because I don't know if you've seen my article that came out
04:10 that I was complaining about physicality.
04:12 But I actually wasn't.
04:15 Um...
04:16 It actually motivates me.
04:17 Lit up a fire inside Jacob Cortez.
04:20 Jacob, this is your opportunity
04:22 to greet your loved ones watching right now.
04:25 And of course,
04:25 give a shout out to the whole San Pedro community.
04:28 Go ahead.
04:28 First, I want to thank God, of course.
04:30 Thank you for everything.
04:31 Thanks for all the blessings.
04:33 Thank you for the opportunity to play basketball next to...
04:36 And then, uh...
04:37 To my family.
04:38 My mom flew out here from Los Angeles.
04:41 She's here.
04:41 She just flew in last night.
04:44 And to my family watching at home, of course.
04:46 I love you all.
04:46 Um...
04:47 To the dogs, the guys that came out today.
04:50 And to the Red Bench.
04:51 And lastly, to the San Pedro community, of course.
04:53 The San Pedro community is so full.
04:56 Hopefully, we'll see you next Sunday.
04:57 That's it.
04:59 There you go.
04:59 Someone saw a dog.
05:01 Dogs, right?
05:02 What is that?
05:03 Can you...
05:04 What do you mean?
05:05 Explain.
05:06 Oh, Jacob, okay.
05:07 Before you go,
05:08 can you explain the Bama Bear?
05:10 What is that, sorry?
05:11 He said,
05:12 "Thank you. I would like to thank the dogs."
05:14 That's just, uh...
05:16 That's what we call our group of friends.
05:18 Oh, yeah.
05:19 Oh, the dogs. Okay.
05:19 Oh, he explained it.
05:20 It's okay.
05:21 I'm happy.
05:22 Jacob, thank you so much.
05:24 Thank you, thank you.
05:26 Thank you.
05:27 Thank you, thank you.
05:27 And congrats, Jacob.