By Andy Hutchison

FAIRFIELD — No. 2 Staples boys basketball team jumped to an early lead and cruised past No. 7 Wilton for a 76-54 win in the FCIAC tournament quarterfinals Saturday.

The Wreckers will face No. 3 Fairfield Ludlowe in Monday’s semis at Wilton High. The game gets underway at 7:15 p.m. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest CIAC updates.)

The Wreckers led 13-9 before going on a 16-3 run en route to a commanding 36-21 halftime lead at neutral site Fairfield Warde.

Mason Tobias was set up by Austin Heyer after the Wreckers caused a turnover and then Dhilan Lowman sank a 3-pointer to make it 18-9, prompting the Warriors to call timeout with 2:22 left in the first quarter. 

Staples led 20-12 after the first quarters, and built on its lead early in the second.

Tobias put on a spin move to score down low, extending the lead to double digits.

Adam Udell scored on a putback, Drew Hill hit a 3-pointer and Tobias sank a pair of free throws to push the lead to 27-12.

On defense, the Wreckers were locked in. 

Tobias blocked a shot and Udell drew a charge as Staples held Wilton without a second-quarter point until the Warriors hit a couple foul shots with 3:15 left before the half. And Wilton was not able to score a field goal in the quarter until 37 seconds remained before the half.

Staples pulled ahead 55-32 heading into the fourth.

Tobias finished with 19 points, Lowman scored 17 and Udell with 13. Corrigan and Heyer both had nine and Hill added six.

Staples looks to continue its winning ways against a Ludlowe team it defeated by 15 points in early February. A spot in Wednesday’s championship game is on the line.

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s.