By Andy Hutchison

GREENWICH — It took 10 games before an opponent finally found a way to put a chink the Wreckers’ armor. 

The Staples boys basketball team brought its glossy 9-0 mark to the Greenwich High gym Tuesday and left with a surprising 57-52 loss.

Staples, as a result, has a 5-1 record in the conference and still sits atop the FCIAC standings. The Cardinals improved to 4-6 overall and got to .500 at 3-3 in FCIAC play.

The Wreckers led 14-13 after one quarter and trailed 27-23 at halftime. Greenwich pulled ahead 45-37 going to the fourth.

Staples had three players in double figures as Sam Clachko scored 14 point to go along with six rebounds and four assists, Mason Tobias logged 13 points and had seven rebounds, two assists and a steal, and Dhilan Lowman scored 12 and had two rebounds, a block and a steal.

Adam Udell scored nine points and had five assists and four rebounds. Charlie Bowman added four points, three rebounds and a steal.

Staples grabbed more rebounds than GHS, 27-25, and came away with four of the game’s five steals. 

But the Wreckers lost the turnover battle overall, seven to four. Although not a lopsided stat, it marked the first time all season the Wreckers did not record more turnovers than a foe.

Up next for Staples is a visit to Wilton at 7 p.m. Friday. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest CIAC updates.)

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