QUIETLY acclaimed as the best point guard in the Flow/National Basketball League (NBL), Anthony Farquharson notched 33 points and 14 rebounds for defending champions Tivoli Wizards to zap newcomers Swift Sons, 67-53, in the feature Southern Conference match of the UTech Sundays showpiece.

Farquharson, who is also the Tivoli captain, and Kirk Ferguson (11 points), have pushed the Wizards to 15 points from seven wins and one loss, putting the brakes on the Sons, who are now on 13 points from five wins and three losses.

Tivoli led 20-9 in the first quarter and 36-25 by half-time.

In the third quarter, the newcomers seemed overwhelmed as the defending champions led by 28 points during the third quarter before the game was held up for a while as the Sons fielded a player not on the match card. The third quarter ended 57-36.

A last quarter rally by the Sons, outpointing Tivoli 17-10, was not enough to dent the reigning champions. Fabian Thompson and Greg Smith each scored identical 14 points for the newcomers.

Earlier Sunday at the University of Technology (UTech) Basketball Arena, St George’s Slayers held off Selassie Gardens 68-65, thanks to Michael Jackson’s game-high 21 points, with his Slayers’ teammate Troy Constantine adding 12 points and seven rebounds.

For Selassie Gardens, Akeem Swaby had 17 points and Ricardo Willis, 14 points and nine rebounds.

In other matches on Sunday in the Eastern Conference, Portland Pistons defeated Yallahs Gators 62-55, while in the Central Conference Shard Walters scored 18 points (eight rebounds) for Manchester Pistons to beat Team Aaah 64-53 and Spaulding Hippers beat Victory 59-56. Victory’s Jowayne Gordon scored a game-high 22 points with nine rebounds.

In the Western Conference, Hoopers beat Railway Tigers 59-54 and Dave Black scored 30 points for Granville Jaguars to beat Catherine Hall All-Stars 83-67.