By Andy Hutchson

FAIRFIELD–Staples girls basketball is making an appearance in the FCIAC title game for the first time since 2020 and is going for its first conference crown since 1995.

The No. 2 Wreckers defeated No. 6 Stamford 53-41 in Monday’s semifinals at neutral site Fairfield Ludlowe. With the win, the Wreckers will battle top seed Greenwich in the championship tilt set to tip off at Fairfield University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. It is the first of a Staples championship doubleheader with the boys game to follow.

Against Stamford in the semis, the Wreckers set the tone early and jumped out to a commanding 23-3 lead after one quarter. It was 29-12 at the half and 41-20 going to the fourth.

The Wreckers were led by Freya Harvey with 16 points, six rebounds and a block and Chloe Smith who had 14 points, three rebounds and blocked a shot.

Addie Talbott had seven points and five assists along with five steals and was a rebounding machine with 13 boards.

Emma Asiel had six points and two assists. Riley Caney scored four, had six rebounds and blocked a shot. Sam Selig contributed four points and a pair of rebounds and Sadie Katzner added two points, two rebounds and a steal.

During the regular season, Greenwich beat visiting Staples 55-42. In 15 conference games, Greenwich lost just once and Staples twice.

Andy Hutchison

^{_{Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories, since the 1990s. He is the sports editor at the Newtown Bee. He writes for the Monroe Sun. He was director of communications and radio color commentator for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (now Islanders) hockey team. He has won numerous writing awards, including regional and national first-place honors.}}