By Andy Hutchison

WILTON — A stingy defensive effort and key scoring runs propelled No. 2 Staples boys basketball team to a 56-46 win over No. 3 Fairfield Ludlowe in Monday’s FCIAC tournament semifinals. The game was played at neutral site Wilton High.

The Wreckers advance to face top-seed Ridgefield in Wednesday’s championship game at Fairfield University; tip is at 7:30 p.m. (Game schedules are subject to change; click for the latest CIAC updates.)

Staples handed Ridgefield its only loss in conference play in the regular season finale Feb. 19 before defeating No. 7 Wilton in Saturday’s tourney quarterfinals.

The Wreckers jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held the Falcons without a point until six-plus minutes into the contest. The Falcons hung around, trailing just 8-4 after one quarter of play.

Ludlowe went without a point 4:32 into the second, but its defense kept the Falcons close. 

The Falcons trimmed a 16-8 deficit to 16-14 at the half.

Things clicked on offense for both teams in the third, with Staples outscoring the Falcons 23-20 in the stanza to seize a 39-34 advantage going into the fourth.

Austin Heyer’s basket down low, a long 3-pointer from Matty Corrigan and an Adam Udell pullup jumper helped put the Wreckers up 33-22 before the Falcons again clawed closer.

In the fourth, Dhilan Lowman answered an early-quarter Ludlowe 3-pointer with a basket from downtown, and Corrigan’s basket despite a foul pushed the lead to 46-39. 

Ludlowe trailed 47-43 just past the mid-point of the final period before Staples got some stops on D and slowly pulled away. Hoops by Mason Tobias, Corrigan and Udell extended the lead back to double digits.

Udell and Corrigan each ended the game with 15 points and Tobias had 13 to lead the Wreckers. Lowman hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points.

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