The Stamford Black Knights came tearing into Friday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points) and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 60-57 win over Staples. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Stamford has posted yet this season.
Ejai Presley was his usual excellent self, scoring 24 points along with six assists and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Ryan Connors, who scored 13 points.
Sam Clachko and Mason Tobias certainly did their best on Friday to try and avoid the loss. Clachko scored 24 points, while Tobias scored 17 points along with five rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Charlie Bowman, who scored eight points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Staples smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Stamford's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-1. As for Staples, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Stamford will take on Ridgefield at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Ridgefield has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 284 points over their last four contests. As for Staples, they will head out on the road to square off against Darien at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Darien will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Connecticut Rankings (they are ranked 112th, while Staples is ranked 25th).
