By Andy Hutchison

TRUMBULL — In a possible FCIAC tournament preview, Staples girls basketball team defeated hosting St. Joseph Cadets, 59-46, Friday.

Both teams are 9-4 in conference play with the Wreckers holding tie-breaker advantage and fourth position in the standings. St. Joe’s is fifth and both teams have two games remaining before the FCIAC playoffs. A trio of 8-5 teams is on their heels. 

Regardless of seeding, Staples will have the benefit of home court advantage in the quarterfinals as the Wreckers will host all of the opening round matchups next Saturday.

In Friday’s game, a trio of Wreckers registered double-digit point totals with Chloe Smith recording a double-double. Smith had 15 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks. 

Marley Belzer logged 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. Ella Harrington compiled 13 points, three rebounds, a trio of assists, one steal and a block. Smith and Harrington each drained a pair of 3-pointers.

Freya Harvey scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds, handed out four assists and came up with a pair of steals. Addie Talbott had five points, five rebounds, an assist, three steals and a block. Riely Gullans added four points, four rebounds and one block.

The Wreckers led 25-23 at the half and pulled ahead 44-39 heading into the fourth.

Staples will visit Westhill of Stamford on Monday and host Ridgefield on Wednesday, both at 6 p.m. Then it’s on to next Saturday’s playoff opener. (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.