LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Denham Town Wizards' Anthony Farquharson (centre) drives to the basket as he is being defended by Paul Oliphant (left) and Andrew Bloomfield of Tivoli Gardens in their KFC National Basketball League match at the National Stadium courts. Farquharson scored 19 points in the Wizards 74-75 loss. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

It's no surprise Denham Town Wizards and Tivoli All -Stars' first match-up of the season went down to the wire on Thursday night, with the latter emerging 75-74 winners at the National Stadium courts in the KFC National Basketball League.

The teams which come from neighbouring communities and have players that are quite familiar with each other as they train together, just wouldn't be comfortable with the other having bragging rights.

"This win is an emotional win," exclaimed Tivoli's Rohan McKenzie after the game.

The manner in which Tivoli ended the game showed they were playing not only off emotion, but experience.

Repeatchampions between 2000-03, Tivoli ended the game on a 15-2 run in the last four and a half minutes, which included six consecutive points from Damion Young and a three-pointer from Shawn 'Oney' Morris, that gave them the lead for good at 73-72.

STEP UP

"We're a championship team, we know when to step up," said Tivoli coach Derrick Sinclair. "We have the players with the calibre so we just draw on those players. If you notice we draw for some of the old school players late in the game."

The "old school player" that really changed the game for Tivoli was Young, who scored 14 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter. Paul Oliphant supported with 14 points, while Morris connected on three three-pointers.

On the emotional part of the game, Sinclair said: "You can't get up every day an' a look in the man weh a beat yu face."

Earlier in the game, Wizards had a similar performance in the second quarter as Tivoli had in the fourth, when three quick three-pointers by Dwayne Harris and 10 second-quarter points from Anthony Farquharson extended their lead to 12 points.

Wizards maintained the lead throughout and even when Tivoli trimmed it down, Harris (28 points) and Farquharson (19 points and 12 rebounds) found a way to keep their team on top.

NO ADJUSTMENT

Harris scored one of his five three-pointers of the night with five minutes remaining to give the Wizards a 72-59 lead and just when it seemed they were about to close out the game, Tivoli went on their 15-2 run.

"We just stopped playing defence," said Wizards coach Wayne Bartley. "They were getting the shots on the wing and we weren't stepping out. We didn't adjust."

Earlier Thursday, Urban Knights won their third straight game when they beat Link-Up All-Stars 62-48.

Urban Knights led throughout, going up by as many as 20 points and relegated Link-Up to their third loss of the season. Linton Murray top scored for the Knights with 18 points and Kerron Caine had 11. Leighton Meeks led Link-Up with 18 points.