By Andy Hutchison

Staples boys basketball finally had a test to the finish, and passed in a hard-fought 53-51 victory at Fairfield Ludlowe on Tuesday. The Wreckers improved to 14-0 overall and 9-0 in FCIAC play.

The game was a nail-biter throughout with Staples holding a 15-12 lead after one quarter, 28-25 halftime lead and 41-38 edge going to the fourth.

Mason Tobias scored 15 points, had three assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals. Sam Clachko logged 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Austin Heyer added nine points, an assist, three rebounds and a pair of steals. Henry Veissid and Matty Corrigan both tacked on six points and three rebounds. Veissid had two blocks and a steal and Corrigan logged one block and one steal.

The Wreckers visit Bridgeport Central (8-5, 4-5 against conference foes) Friday at 7 p.m. and return home to face Trumbull (14-0, 9-0 in conference play) in a key matchup Tuesday, Feb. 10, also at 7 p.m. 

Staples is the top-ranked team in Division I and Trumbull No. 2 in D-II behind only Windsor. These teams are tied atop the conference standings.

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.}}