Jesse Heussner ’11 & Ross Gordon’11
Sports Editor & Managing Editor

After being honored for almost 30 minutes before their last home game of the season, the Wreckers’ seniors almost led Staples to an upset victory over the Danbury Hatters on Senior Day. Nicole Brill ’11, Mary Kate Van Zandt ’11, Julie Strickland ’11, and Julia Friedman ’11 were treated to a rousing ovation and a speech by coach Ed Huydic before the girls varsity basketball team fell to the Hatters, 48-39.

 Though Danbury (13-3) was a heavy favorite against Staples (8-8), the game was hotly contested from the opening tip. The match up looked like it would be an extremely high scoring affair after the first quarter, as both teams came out shooting the ball very well and hitting a number of three pointers. While the scoring spree would eventually slow down, the game remained competitive. Staples took a brief 26-25 lead with three minutes left in the first half, but Danbury responded with a 7-0 run to close the half.

 Danbury would never relinquish the lead. They took a 40-32 advantage into the fourth quarter, and withstood a late Wreckers run to secure the victory. Staples was able to effectively stop the Danbury offense late in the fourth quarter, but was unable to produce points of its own. Erica Smith ’13 nailed a three with two minutes left to cut the Danbury lead down to five, but the Hatters responded with a quick basket to put the game out of reach.

Casey Smith ’11 proved to be too much for the Wreckers to handle, scoring off of offensive rebounds and using an effective spin move. Still, the night was a positive one for the Wreckers and its seniors, who proved once again that they could compete with some of the FCIAC’s toughest teams.“I just want to thank everyone for coming. It meant a lot that so many people showed up,” Brill said.