By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakes advanced to Japan B.League Division 2 finals after a 97-74 victory over the Yamagata Wyverns in Game 2 of the semifinals at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena over the weekend.

The former NLEX Road Warriors guard finished with 13 points, including three outside conversions, to go with four assists, four steals and two rebounds as the Lakes swept their best-of-three semifinal series, 2-0.

Aside from reaching the best-of-three finals round against the Koshigaya Alphas, the Lakes also earned their ticket back to Division 1 for the 2024-2025 Japan B.League season.

“The most important thing is that we won,” Ravena said.

“We just played with a [completely] different mentality from the moment of tipoff [in Game 2], with a mindset of winning,” he added.

Brock Motum led the way for the Lakes with 28 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists, Daichi Nomoto added 18 markers, while James Burrell and Ryan Kriener had 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Former PBA guard Roosevelt Adams and Timothy Holyfield finished with 17 markers apiece, while Shinya Murakami added 12 markers and nine assists for the ousted Wyverns.

In Division 1, Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena III and the San-en NeoPhoenix bowed out in the quarterfinals after a close 69-66 Game 2 defeat to the Hiroshima Dragonflies at the Toyohashi City Gymnasium.

Thirdy finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist for the NeoPhoenix, which also lost to the Dragonflies in Game 1, 77-70.

On the other hand, Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins reached the semifinals round after a come-from-behind 84-75 triumph against the Seahorses Mikawa in Game 2 of the quarterfinals at the Dolphins Arena.

The former TNT Tropang Giga guard tallied five points and one assist in almost nine minutes of action for the Diamond Dolphins, which will next face the Dragonflies in the Final Four./ASC, WDJ