By Finnegan Courtney

On Saturday afternoon, the Staples Wreckers boys basketball team traveled to Fairfield Warde High School to play in round one of the FCIAC Championship Tournament. Staples carried the fourth seed and a slight advantage over the fifth seed Warde Mustangs. Staples narrowly defeated the Mustangs on Feb. 1.  And Saturday’s game was a reprise of last year’s FCIAC tournament, when Warde eliminated the Wreckers.

Out of the gate, each defense held their opponents to two points over the first four and a half minutes. Junior Chris Zajac helped the Wreckers break through after the early doldrums, scoring 12 points in the first quarter alone. Zajac would finish with over 20 points and 15 rebounds on the day. With Staples up one in the final seconds, senior captain and likely All-FCIAC player Ryan Phelps had a buzzer-beating basket to push Staples to a 19-16 lead.

In the second quarter, Staples scored 13 points, highlighted by a three pointer from Phelps, assisted by fellow team captain Ryan Thompson. On the other side, Justyn Davis, widely considered among the state’s best, had an impressive day scoring 26 points total while exuding infectious energy on both ends of the court. Staples led 32-24 at the half, thanks in large part to Phelps.

However, Davis would help his team storm back with a 7-2 run to open the third quarter and shrink Staples lead down to 3 with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter. The stout Warde offensive attack continued until the final seconds of the third quarter, cutting down Staples’ lead to two, where Staples senior Caleb Tobias hit a buzzer-beating three pointer to increase the Wrecker lead to five, 41-36. The crowd, including a huge Staples contingent, was raucous throughout the entire game.

Staples would exchange the lead with ties intermittently all throughout the final quarter of play, with Warde leading briefly in the first at 10-7. However, the final minute of play provided several highlights. With under 40 seconds left in regulation, Tobias hit the second of two big-time three pointers to give Staples the lead, 52-49. And yet, the Wreckers could not hold on, after a quick Warde layup, they lost the ball on an inbounds play and fouled junior guard Colin Vigeant on a drive to the basket, up just one.

In a situation eerily similar to the regular-season game between these two teams, it came down to free throws. In the Feb. 1 game, Davis missed his second free-throw as the clock expired in a dramatic 63-62 Staples win. Yesterday, Vigeant was fouled with little time on the clock and he made both baskets. Staples had a chance to score with 7.9 seconds left, but lost control of the ball.  Warde cashed two more free throws and a Staples heave at the buzzer missed. 

Having been tied or in the lead for almost the entire game, this Wreckers loss will not be soon forgotten.  

Final: Warde 55, Staples 52.