By Eli Corenthal ’19 and Brian Wilk ’19

Staples boys’ basketball defeated Westhill 64-44 on Jan 29, clinching a spot in the Connecticut Division III State Tournament.
The Wreckers were led by captain Jake Thaw ‘20 putting up 20 points in the win.
“The past couples games we’ve been in a rhythm, and I think a lot of that is due to our growing fan base,” Thaw said. “Everyone’s meshing and I think we’re coming together at the right time.”
The Wreckers went down early in the opening minutes. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 17-16, with Westhill on top. The deficit grew in the second quarter, with Westhill growing the lead to seven. However, the Wreckers went on a run late in the second quarter, led by a three-pointer from Teddy Dienst ’20.
Going into the halftime break, Westhill held a slim two-point lead, 31-29. “[The] second quarter was slower than the first . We will pick it back up in the second half,” Thomas Lynch ’19 said at the break.
Lynch’s statement proved true when Staples tied the game at 33 with 5:30 left in the third quarter and grew a lead of their own as the third quarter ran down. A fourth quarter push grew the lead to double digits.
“Having already qualified for the playoffs is a true testament of how hard we have worked every day,” captain Dylan Honig ’19 said. “We weren’t supposed to be here, and now we get to show everyone why we are.”
The Wreckers are currently sitting at 8-6 with a potential FCIAC playoff berth looming in the coming weeks. Staples will travel to Stamford High School on Thursday, Jan. 31, to try and capture their ninth win of the season.