Knight in shining armor: Racal lifts Letran past San Beda in Game 1

MANILA, Philippines -- Kevin Racal badly wanted to leave the NCAA with a championship.

The pro-bound Racal delivered his best game in his collegiate career to lift Letran to a pulsating 94-90 Game One win over arch-rival San Beda in the NCAA Season 91 Finals before a big crowd divided by navy blue and red at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Racal, who will play for the Alaska Aces in the PBA after this Finals, scored a career-high 28 points, including the biggest baskets in the endgame, to bring the Knight within a win away from dethroning the defending champions.

Racal hit two nerve-wracking free throws and scored off his own miss that gave the Knights a four-point buffer, 89-85, after Ola Adeogun tied the game for the last time.

Letran stretched their lead, 92-87, on Mark Cruz split charities but San Beda refused to go away as Dan Sara hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left to come within a basket.

Rey Nambatac, however, sealed the tough win with a layup as the Knights moved closer to win its first title in 10 years.