By Gabriella Gerig

WESTPORT – With only five games left in the regular season, the Staples girls’ basketball team suffered a tough loss last night at home against Warde, 38-46. 

It was anybody’s game up until the middle of the fourth quarter when the Mustangs began to pull away. With less than seven minutes left, the game was tied 30-30. Senior captain Sydelle Bernstein hit a three to create a one point lead for Staples, 33-32. This seemed to inspire Warde who went on to score 14 points to Staples’ three.

Senior captain McKenzie Didio led the team with eleven points, and freshman Norah Fuld was a spark off the bench with seven points. Senior captain Jen Westphal continued to be a force on defense with her vigor and tenacity on the boards. 

Only the top eight teams qualify for FCIACs. Staples’ FCIAC record is now 5-5.  As of this morning, there are eight teams with winning FCIAC records: St. Joseph, Ridgefield, Danbury, Ludlowe, Greenwich, Norwalk, Trumbull and Stamford. Staples faces four of those teams in its final five games.

Staples faces one of them, Trumbull, on Friday away at 6:00 p.m.