NCAA Season 68 basketball tournaments

Format:

• Tournament divided into two halves: winners of the two halves dispute the championship in a best-of-3 finals series unless:
  • A team wins both rounds. In that case, the winning team automatically wins the championship.
  • A third team has a better cumulative record than both finalists. In that case, the third team has to win in a playoff against the team that won the second round to face the team that won in the first round in a best-of-3 finals series.

First round team standings Pos Team W L Pts Qualification 1  San Sebastian Stags (H) 4 1 9[lower-alpha 1] Advance to the Finals 2  Mapúa Cardinals 4 1 9[lower-alpha 1] 3  Letran Knights 3 2 8 4  San Beda Red Lions 3 2 8 5  Perpetual Altas 1 4 6 6  JRC Heavy Bombers 0 5 5 Source: Rules for classification: 1) tournament points; 2) if tied for #1, one-game playoff; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head point differential; 5) overall point differential (H) Hosts Notes: First round pennant playoff: San Sebastian 81–74 Mapúa

Second round team standings Pos Team W L Pts Qualification 1  Letran Knights 4 1 9[lower-alpha 1] Advance to the Finals 2  San Sebastian Stags (H) 4 1 9[lower-alpha 1] 3  Mapúa Cardinals 3 2 8 4  JRC Heavy Bombers 3 2 8 5  San Beda Red Lions 1 4 6 6  Perpetual Altas 0 5 5 Source: Rules for classification: 1) tournament points; 2) if tied for #1, one-game playoff; 3) head-to-head record; 4) head-to-head point differential; 5) overall point differential (H) Hosts Notes: Second round pennant playoff: Letran 108–93 San Sebastian

Pos	Team	W	L	Pts	Qualification
1	San Sebastian Stags (H)	8	2	18	Advance to the Finals[lower-alpha 1]
2	Letran Knights	7	3	17	Advance to the Finals[lower-alpha 2]
3	Mapúa Cardinals	7	3	17
4	San Beda Red Lions	4	6	14
5	JRC Heavy Bombers	3	7	13
6	Perpetual Altas	1	9	11

San Sebastian Stags were on their way to a first round sweep, scoring four straight victories and were leading by 20 points in the second half against Letran, 76-56, in their last assignment in the first round when the Knights rallied back and pulled off a 94-89 comeback victory over the Stags. [1]

San Sebastian clinch the first round pennant, defeating Mapua Cardinals, 81-74, in their winner-take-all showdown on August 29 at the Rizal Coliseum. [2]

Letran captured the second round flag, following a 108-93 victory over first round winner San Sebastian Stags in their playoff on September 30. The Knights forge a best-of-three showdown with the Stags for the Senior basketball title. [3]

October 6

Letran Knights	98–91	San Sebastian Stags
Letran leads series 1–0

Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila

Ronald Peña pumped in five of his 15 points in an 11-2 Letran run midway in the final half and another five at the height of San Sebastian rally late in the contest to put the Knights ahead, 87-77, with 2:25 remaining. [4]

October 10

Letran Knights	94–85	San Sebastian Stags
Letran wins series 2-0

Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila

• Finals Most Valuable Player: Gilbert Castillo

Ronald Peña, chosen the season's Most Valuable Player, topscored for the Knights with 22 points, and Gilbert Castillo added 19. From a 77-all deadlock, the game broke wide open on a 15-5 run by the Knights, engineered by Peña. A power outage hit the area with 42 seconds left. Letran students and supporters pour into the court for an early celebration while waiting for the lights to be restored. [5]