Back to B1: Kiefer, Shiga advance to finals, return to top division
MANILA, Philippines – Back where they belong.
Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakes advanced to the B2 finals of the Japan B. League after crushing Roosevelt Adams and the Yamagata Wyverns, 97-74, in Game 2 of their best-of-three semifinal series on Sunday, May 12.
With the win, the Lakes not only punched a ticket to the finals, but also secured a spot back to the league’s top division, the B1, for the 2024-2025 season.
Shiga was relegated to B2 this season after a second to the last finish in B1 last year. The Lakes and the Koshigaya Alphas – who they will face in the finals – will trade places with RJ Abarrientos’ Shinshu Brave Warriors and AJ Edu’s Toyama Grouses next season.
Fresh from a 22-point performance in their 91-86 Game 1 win on Saturday, May 11, Kiefer delivered an all-around stat line of 13 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block.
Yamagata had no answers for Kiefer’s fellow Shiga import Brock Motum, who dropped a game-high 28 points on an ultra-efficient 12-of-15 shooting.
On the other side, Adams, the No. 1 pick by the Terrafirma Dyip in the 2019 PBA Draft, led the charge for the Wyverns with 17 points on 6-of-11 field goal clip, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal.
The best-of-three championship series between Shiga and Koshigaya will kick off on Saturday, May 18.
In B1, Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins clinched a semifinal spot following an 84-75 Game 2 win against the Seahorses Mikawa in their best-of-three quarterfinal showdown.
After going scoreless in Game 1 on Saturday, Parks had 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting this time, together with 1 assist in 9 minutes of playing time.
Unlike Kiefer’s Shiga and Parks’ Nagoya, Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix’s dream season came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday after falling to the Hiroshima Dragonflies anew, 69-66, in the second game of their B1 quarterfinal matchup.
Thirdy was one of two San-En players to score in double figures with 13 points on 5-of-10 clip from the field, along with 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
Thirdy, the longest-tenured Filipino import in the B. League, wrapped up his historic fourth season with San-En with a career-best scoring average of 12.4 points in 59 games played. – Rappler.com