Wizards, Legends for finals showdown
DEFENDING champions Tivoli Wizards and last year’s finalists Majesty Legends will again meet in this season’s finals of the Flow/NBL Southern Conference after they clinched game two of their best of three semi-finals Thursday night at the National Basketball Courts.
Anthony Farquharson (30 points, 12 rebounds) and Andrew Whilby (15 pts, 12 rebounds) put the Wizards on track for the finals, as the defending champions led all the way for the 72-58 victory over the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
Farquharson and Mowanga Campbell charted Tivoli to a 21-16 advantage in the first quarter, with Whilby getting into the action in the second quarterfor the 36-28 half-time score.
From then on, Farquharson and Whilby took the match home, ending the third quarter 51-45 as the JDF stumbled off course in the last stretch of the match.
Feurtado Clarke saved face for the military men with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Earlier Majesty Gardens took their fate in their own hands when coach Marland Nattie walked away from the team after frustrated attempts to establish a “system” there.
With Baldon Todd as player/coach supported by Paul Oliphant, Majesty bested former multiple champions Urban Knights 68-65 to seal their place in the finals.
Kemar McLeish scored 21 points and Todd added 17 points for Majesty with Javan Bailey (also 21 points) and Dave Blackwood (15 points) leading the brave attempt for the Knights.
Majesty burst in the lead 17-11 in the first quarter with Havando Dunn and McLeish setting the stage. During the second quarter, the match tied up regularly with scores at 22-22, 24-24, 29-29 until Majesty edged ahead for the half-time advantage of 35-31.
Individualism and indiscipline crept into the Knights’ game, while the Legends held themselves together. Yet Bailey and Blackwood managed to close the Legends lead to one-point by the end of the third quarter, 48-47.
However, McLeish and Todd pulled off the remarkable victory.
The best of three finals will begin next Thursday.