By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–With 18 points, Freya Harvey led the Staples girls basketball team in their 49-42 win over Fairfield Warde on Tuesday. The win advanced the girls to the Division II State Tournament quarterfinals.

The No. 3 Wreckers defeated No. 14 and visiting Fairfield Warde 49-42 in the second round on Tuesday. Staples will host No. 11 South Windsor Friday at 5 p.m. Win or lose, it will be the Wreckers’ last home game as the tourney moves into neutral sites the rest of the way.

No. 2 Trumbull hosts No. 10 Bristol Central in the other quarterfinal on Staples’ side of the bracket. The semifinals will take place Monday, March 16 or Tuesday, March 17.

Against Warde, things were close throughout, with the Wreckers leading 14-13 after one quarter and 24-20 at the half.

In addition to her 18 points, Harvey had a pair of assists, six rebounds and a steal.

Chloe Smith scored nine points and had six rebounds and a steal. Addie Talbott compiled nine points, a pair of assists, nine rebounds and two steals. Marley Belzer added five points, nine rebounds, six blocks and an assist and steal.

The girls’ quarterfinal game will be followed by the boys’ quarterfinal at 7.

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.}}