NCAA Season 66 basketball tournaments

The 1990 NCAA basketball tournament was the 66th season in the Philippine National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The season started on August 5 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium and ended with the Mapua Cardinals breaking the 16-year cycle and won the seniors crown, dethroning the defending champion San Sebastian Stags.

1990 NCAA season

Host school	Perpetual Help College of Rizal
Men's Finals G1 G2 Wins  Mapúa Cardinals 96 97 2  San Sebastian Stags 87 92 0
Duration	October 7–10, 1990
Arena(s)	Rizal Memorial Coliseum
Winning coach	Joel Banal
Juniors' tournament
Champions	Letran Squires
First runner-up	San Beda Red Cubs
Winning coach	Mollet Pineda
< Season 65 1990 Season 67 >

Men's tournament

Elimination round

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 Team W L Pts.  Mapúa Cardinals 4 1 9  Letran Knights 4 1 9  San Sebastian Stags 4 1 9  PHCR Altas* 1 3  San Beda Red Lions* 0 3  JRC Heavy Bombers* 0 4 Season host is boldfaced.   Qualified to the Finals

Second round team standings Team W L Pts.  San Sebastian Stags 5 0 10  Mapúa Cardinals 4 1 9  San Beda Red Lions 2 3 7  Letran Knights 2 3 7  JRC Heavy Bombers 2 3 7  PHCR Altas 0 5 5 Season host is boldfaced.   Qualified to the Finals

^{Notes: Results of the first round match between San Beda and Perpetual Help and the San Beda vs Jose Rizal College are not yet found}

Defending champion San Sebastian, Letran and Mapua ended the first round with identical 4-win, 1-loss card. The Cardinals nip the SSC Stags, 98–97, in the first of the two playoffs to determined the winner of the first round flag. Mapua clinch the first round championship by exacting revenge over Letran, 111–105 on September 4. The Knights gave the Cardinals their only loss in the first round via a 95–72 victory on opening day.^[1]

Mapua Cardinals was on a verge of a two-round sweep and an outright title after scoring four straight victories in the second round.^[2] They lost to fellow unbeaten San Sebastian Stags, 84–92, in their final outing. The Stags captured the second round championship by completing a five-game sweep, thus arranging a best-of-three title playoffs with the Cardinals.

Finals

October 7

Mapúa Cardinals

96–87

San Sebastian Stags

Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila

October 10

Mapúa Cardinals	97–92	San Sebastian Stags
Mapua wins series, 2-0

Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila

Awards

NCAA Season 66 men's basketball champions
Mapúa Cardinals Fourth title

Juniors' tournament

Second round team standings

Team	W	L	Pts.
Letran Squires	5	0	10
San Beda Red Cubs	4	1	9
JRC Light Bombers	3	2	8
San Sebastian Staglets	1	3
Mapua Red Robins	1	3
PHCR Bantams	0	5	5

Letran Squires completed a two-round sweep in winning back the Junior title they last held in 1985. The Squires were first round winner when JRC Light Bombers were stripped of the pennant for fielding an ineligible player.^[3]

Awards

NCAA Season 66 juniors' basketball champions
Letran Squires 11th title

See also

• UAAP Season 53 men's basketball tournament

References

1. "Mapua first round titlist". Manila Standard.
2. "Holy grail near for MIT as Cards ravage PHCR". Manila Standard.
3. "Squires junior champs". Manila Standard.

Preceded by Season 65 (1989)	NCAA basketball seasons Season 66 (1990)	Succeeded by Season 67 (1991)