One fact the the article doesn't make clear is that Mikawa did not know the U.S. carriers had withdrawn. He was certain that if he regrouped and attacked the transports his force would be destroyed by carrier aircraft at sunrise.
In postwar interviews he insisted had made the correct choice in withdrawing, based on the information he had at the time, and was more than a little bitter at the second guessing of his descision by later critics who knew that there was in fact no air threat.
Correct, second guessing the commander on the spot is easy after the fact.