Photo at left: Staples’ Nick Sikorski scored 18, including a 5-for-5 performance from the foul line, in the Wreckers’ Monday win over St. Joseph High. At right: Caleb Smith broke a late tie giving Staples a 71-69 victory as teammates cheer in the background. / Photos by Mark Sikorski

By Andy Hutchison

TRUMBULL — The Staples boys basketball team won a back-and-forth contest with host St. Joseph High on Monday night, prevailing 71-69 on a basket in the waning seconds.

Caleb Smith scored two of his 10 points to break the tie with just a few ticks left on the scoreboard clock. A buzzer-beater attempt by the Cadets was off the mark and the Wreckers celebrated their ninth win in their last 10 contests.

Sam Clachko scored 19 points, Nick Sikorski scored 18, Adam Udell had 14, Mason Tobias six and Nathan Smith two.

Sam Clachko scored 19 points as Staples edged St. Joseph High in Trumbull on Monday.

Tobias grabbed 12 rebounds; Udell collected five rebounds to go along with a half-dozen assists; Clachko had five rebounds and eight assists, and Sikorski and Caleb Smith each pulled down four rebounds.

Sikorski hit a trio of 3-pointers and Clachko connected on a pair of shots from behind the arc.

Staples (14-5 overall for the season) stands at 10-4 in FCIAC play, fourth place in the conference standings. 

The Wreckers close out the regular season with a visit to Westhill of Stamford at 7 p.m. Wednesday. (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.

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