The rivalry is notable in which even though Letran performs better in league competition, they have never swept the elimination round meetings against their neighbors in recent years.
The Battle of Intramuros may also refer to the "original" rivalry between University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila in which first began on 1915 when UP and Ateneo played basketball games on Intramuros. Eventually the rivalry died down and was revived when both schools competed in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and is now called the "Battle of Katipunan" from the avenue that connects Ateneo's new campus at Quezon City and UP, which transferred to Quezon City after the war.
Another "Battle of Intramuros", though not as prominent as the one between Letran and Mapúa, was formed when Lyceum of the Philippines University, another Intramuros-based institution sandwiched between Letran's and Mapúa's campuses, joined the NCAA as a guest team in 2011 and was advertised as such whenever the Pirates play either the Knights or the Cardinals. However, due to Lyceum's status as a guest team, it is not considered a rivalry for now.
The final four was instituted in 1997;[1][2] prior to that the first and second round winners, plus the team with the best overall standing if it did not win either round, participated in the championship round to determine the champion.
The "Battle of Intramuros," which is so named because the two schools are three blocks apart from each other in Intramuros, is the name given to the Letran-Mapúa games. The Cardinals have had the mastery of the Knights in recent years. For eight consecutive years from 1998, Letran has failed to beat Mapúa in the eliminations rounds at least twice (either they will split the eliminations or Mapúa will win twice), even though the Knights were more successful in the league.[3]
The Knights were finally able to beat Mapúa in the first round of the 2005 tournament,[4] but the Cardinals avenged that loss in the second round when they dealt the Knights with their first and only defeat of the season. Letran Knights were on their way on scoring a rare a 14–0 sweep of the elimination round when they were stopped by the Mapúa Cardinals in their twelfth game of the eliminations[5] Letran and Mapúa would split their games in subsequent seasons. In 2009 Letran finally end its 2nd-round losing streak against Mapúa and its first sweep against their Intramuros rivals in league history
Although the only instance where Letran and Mapúa met in the Finals was in the 1979 season where the Knights prevailed,[6] the championship won by the Cardinals in 1981 (the games were suspended in the 1980 season due to the La Salle–Letran fracas) proved to be a spoiler once again as it denied Letran the bragging rights to the unprecedented honor of being the first ever NCAA team to win five consecutive seniors championships (Letran also won the 1982, 1983, and 1984 crowns), a feat that would later on be achieved by the San Sebastian Stags from 1993 to 1997.[7]
Both teams are guaranteed to face each other at the elimination round (regular season) twice, while they can meet for a maximum of three times in the playoffs.
^2nd–4th classification. Both teams tied with 9–5 records along with 2 others necessitated games to break the ties.
^Letran ends an 8-year 2nd round losing skid against Mapúa. Letran's 1st sweep against Mapúa and Letran eliminated Mapúa from the semifinals contention.
^Mapúa ends a 6-year 1st round losing skid and a 3-game losing skid against Letran since 2008.
^Letran was leading with as much as 14 points in the last 3 minutes until Mapúa surges and regains the lead and eventually wins. Mapúa's 1st sweep against Letran since 2004.
^Mapúa forced to forfeit their game against Letran due to the suspensions of their players.
^Letran overcame a late Mapúa run in the 2nd half to win the game.
^Mapúa ends a 9-game losing skid to Letran since 2011 and a 4-year 2nd round losing skid since 2011.
^Semifinals. Letran went on to win the championship. vs. San Beda.
^Last game of the 1st round. Both teams had a 5–3 record prior to the game.
^Letran's loss to Mapúa would mean they'll miss the final four for the 1st time since 2014 and this is the 1st time that a defending champion would miss the playoffs since 2000, ironically the defending champion that miss the final four that time was the Knights themselves.
^Letran's first game of the season. As of September 22, 2017, this is Mapúa's only win of the season.
^Finals Game 2. Jeo Ambohot was named as the NCAA Season 97 Finals MVP.
^Mapúa ended a 5-game losing skid against Letran since 2022, and sent Letran to its 6th straight loss of the season, the worst start for a defending champion.
^Mapúa came from behind to take a close 69-66 victory over Letran.
^Both teams had a 2–1 record and were on a two-game winning streak prior to the game.
Number denotes playoff seeding. Shade denotes final position.
Finished as the champion Finished as the 1st runner-up Finished as semifinalist Lost in 4th-seed playoff Twice to beat advantage C Tournament cancelled
Notes
^2021–22 season was played in early 2022 and the tournament was held in into a round robin tournament instead of the usual double round eliminations.
Juniors games between Letran and Mapúa have not been played under this label. While Letran's high school has always been at Intramuros, Mapúa's high schools have always been outside its walls, staying at the Santa Cruz district for most of its history, then the current Malayan High School of Science now being found at Pandacan.
Both teams are guaranteed to face each other at the elimination round (regular season) twice, while they can meet for a maximum of three times in the playoffs.
Number denotes playoff seeding. Shade denotes final position.
Finished as the champion Finished as the 1st runner-up Finished as semifinalist Lost in 4th-seed playoff Twice to beat advantage C Tournament cancelled Guest school Under probation
Notes
^2021–22 season was played in early 2022 and the tournament was held in into a round robin tournament instead of the usual double round eliminations.
Juniors games between Letran and Lyceum have not been played under this label. While Letran's high school has always been at Intramuros, Lyceum's high school teams are represented by its Cavite campus.
Both teams are guaranteed to face each other at the elimination round (regular season) twice, while they can meet for a maximum of three times in the playoffs.
Number denotes playoff seeding. Shade denotes final position.
Finished as the champion Finished as the 1st runner-up Finished as semifinalist Lost in 4th-seed playoff Twice to beat advantage C Tournament cancelled Guest school Under probation
Notes
^2021–22 season was played in early 2022 and the tournament was held in into a round robin tournament instead of the usual double round eliminations.
Juniors games between Lyceum and Mapúa have not been played under this label. Lyceum's high school teams are represented by its Cavite campus, while Mapúa is represented by the Malayan High School of Science, which is located in Pandacan, Manila