By Andy Hutchison

STAMFORD — Talk about a team effort. 

Staples girls basketball team got points from all 14 players deployed in a 59-21 win at Westhill High on Monday. The Wreckers improved to 11-8 overall for the season and 10-4 in FCIAC action.

Staples built a commanding 17-2 lead after one quarter and led comfortably 35-8 at the half.

Emma Asiel racked up 13 points, two rebounds and a steal, and Riely Gullans scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Sadie Katzner had five points, two steals and a pair of rebounds. 

The Wreckers compiled 22 steals led by three apiece from Freya Harvey, Poppy Harrington, Maeve Best, Addie Talbott and Reese Rein, who also handed out five assists.

Staples played without leading scorer and rebounder Chloe Smith, but teammates stepped up on both ends of the court. 

Marley Belzer had six rebounds, Sam Selig grabbed had five rebounds to go along with three points, a trio of assists and two steals, and Ella Harrington had four boards, two assists and a takeaway. 

Harvey, Talbott and Ella Harrington each scored four points. Also contributing to the score sheet were Kennedy Do, Aviva Ross and Addie Dennett.

Up next for the Wreckers is the regular-season finale, a home game with Ridgefield (13-1 and battling for the top FCIAC rank) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Staples is fourth in the conference standings, and up one game on Fairfield Ludlowe, St. Joseph and Stamford. The Wreckers hold the tiebreaker over Ludlowe and St. Joseph, and Stamford has the tiebreaker advantage on Staples should the Wreckers lose and any of those chasing teams win their finales.

Regardless of seedings the Wreckers will be home for Saturday’s FCIAC tournament quarterfinals (time and opponent to be determined). 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.