Two dominant guards in Sam Clachko and Ryan Luchetta are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Staples Wreckers will face off against the Wilton Warriors at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Staples has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Staples is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Connecticut's top teams: Ridgefield, who was ranked 17th at the time (Staples was ranked 14th). Staples walked away with an 81-69 victory over Ridgefield on Wednesday.
Staples' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mason Tobias, who went 8-for-10 en route to 21 points and eight rebounds. What's more, Tobias posted two blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Dhilan Lowman, who went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc on his way to 20 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Wilton won against Stamford on Monday with 68 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Wednesday. Wilton secured a 68-63 W over Warde. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Warriors.
Staples better keep an eye on Luchetta. He was instrumental in Wilton's win, going 8-for-17 to rack up 20 points along with eight boards and five assists. Luchetta's evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Max Totten, who scored seven points and nine rebounds.
Wilton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in three consecutive matches.
The win got Wilton back to even at 10-10. As for Staples, their record now sits at 17-3.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest-scoring teams around. Staples hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 65.1 points per game. However, it's not like Wilton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 57.8 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can put up more.
Everything went Staples' way against Wilton when the teams last played back in January, as Staples made off with a 60-40 victory. Will Staples repeat their success, or does Wilton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
