Left photo: Staples’ Chris Zajac scored 17 points in the Wreckers’ 74-39 state tournament victory over Manchester on Tuesday. Right photo: Charlie Honig leaps to the hoop. / Photos by Mark Sikorski

By Andy Hutchison

WESTPORT — The No. 7 Staples High boys basketball team rolled to a 74-39 triumph over No. 26 Manchester in the first round of the Division II State Tournament on Tuesday. 

With the home-standing victory, the Wreckers next host No. 23 RHAM in the second tournament round at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, March 9.

On Tuesday, Staples jumped out to a 25-8 lead after one quarter and a commanding 45-17 advantage at halftime. 

Staples Coach David Goldshore, kneeling, sets strategy during a timeout Tuesday night.

The Wreckers had a trio of players in double figures as Chris Zajac scored 17, Sam Clachko had 15 and Cody Sale dropped in 14. 

Clachko drained a trio of 3-pointers and Sale, Charlie Honig and Gavin Rothenberg each hit a pair from behind the arc.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, 10 Staples players registered points and 15 team members got onto the court to see some playoff game action.

Zajac, Ethan Cukier and Caleb Smith each had four rebounds. Cukier had a pair of steals, and Honig had seven assists to go along with six points. 

Rothenberg also scored six, Adam Udell had five and Charlie Bowman added four points. Will Holleman, Mason Tobias and Nick Sikorski also logged points.

Andy Hutchison has been covering school sports — including Staples athletics — as well as news and feature stories in Fairfield County, since the 1990s. Learn more about us here.

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