By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT–The Division I State Tournament’s top seed, Staples, will host No. 8 New London in Friday’s boys basketball quarterfinals at 7 p.m. It will follow the 5 p.m. girls’ quarterfinal-round action at Staples.

The Wrecker boys pressed on behind a 78-52 second-round win over No. 16 Manchester at home on Tuesday. Both teams were coming off first-round byes.

Staples jumped out to a 24-10 lead after one quarter and put up another two-dozen points in the second to carry a commanding 48-18 advantage into halftime.

Henry Veissid scored 14 points and had three steals. Dhilan Lowman had 11 points, four rebounds and a block. Sam Clachko dropped in 10 points, handed out five assists and logged a trio of rebounds.

Mason Tobias scored nine points, had five assists and grabbed nine rebounds. Austin Heyer scored nine points, had two assists and pulled down three rebounds. Matty Corrigan contributed six points, two assists, a rebound and block.

Friday’s quarter finals mark the team’s final home game as the ensuing rounds shift to neutral sites.

No. 4 Northwest Catholic and No. 5 Notre Dame Prep meet in the other quarterfinal on Staples’ half of the bracket. The dates and locations for state semis have not yet been announced.

Top-seeded boys defeat Manchester in second round and will host New London Friday at 7 p.m.

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.}}