Japan – Filipino guard Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakes defeated Yamagata at the score 97-74 and sweeps their best-of-three semi-finals series last Sunday at the B2 division.
With their win, the Lakes not only clinched the spot for the final round of B2, but also secured a promotion ticket to the B1 division for the 2024-2025 season.
Ravena shined in Game Two because of his 13 points, four assists, four steals, two rebounds, and a block to ensure the series sweep and above all, the B1 promotion.
This also set Shiga up for a championship showdown against the Koshigaya Alphas, who also took down Altiri Chiba in two games.
Roosevelt Adams did his best for Yamagata, collecting 17 points, six rebounds, and one steal, but they had to settle for the third-place battle.
In B1, Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins defeated SeaHorses Mikawa at 84-71 at Dolphins Arena to advance to the semifinals.
Parks scored five points and one dime for the Western Conference champions, who advanced to the semifinals against the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Meanwhile, the Hiroshima Dragonflies defeated the younger Ravena bro, Thirdy and San-En NeoPhoenix, at the scores 69-66.
Thirdy, like Kiefer, scored 13 points while adding 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 rejections, and an assist, but their successful elimination round campaign was for naught, as they were eliminated from the playoffs.
Parks’ Nagoya defeated Mikawa in their quarter final’s showdown, at 84-75, to advance to the semi-finals round, while Thirdy’s San-en also lost to Hiroshima in the quarterfinals, at 69-66 ending their run.