The SeaHorses Mikawa took advantage of their depth and ferocious inside power to return to the Emperor's Cup final for the first time in two years.
Daniel Orton racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds and veteran J.R. Sakuragi had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to contribute to the SeaHorses' 87-68 victory over the Brave Thunders in the All-Japan Championship semifinals at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday.
Mikawa, the highest-scoring team in the ongoing B. League regular season (85.8 points per game), would not let the second-best offensive team, the Brave Thunders (81.6), score as comfortably as they usually do around Nick Fazekas. The SeaHorses delivered a strong defensive effort.