Though they had to fight through a tough challenge from their opponents in the championship clincher, the three-time reigning champions maintained their mastery of the annual New Year's tournament.
The Aisin SeaHorses put another Emperor's Cup trophy on their mantle with a 81-74 overtime victory over the Panasonic Trians in the All-Japan Championship final at Yoyogi National Gymnasium on Monday afternoon.
Panasonic came back from a deficit as large as 15 points at one point, and sent the game into overtime in the final minutes. But Aisin forward J.R. Sakuragi came through with seven points, including a pair of free throws to secure the win, in the extra period.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.