WESTPORT - It's the kind of atmosphere you dream to compete in as a boys basketball player - a sold-out crowd cheering on two undefeated and ranked teams with the regular season winding down.
Third-ranked Staples relies on its defense to grind out victories, and the Wreckers wrecked Trumbull's offense in the second half Wednesday to roll 54-36 at home over the eighth-ranked Eagles.
"That was sort of our game plan coming in," Staples senior Mason Tobias said. "They're a smaller team, so we used our size and physicality to make everything tough for them, and that's what we did all game long. Holding them to 36 points was a great defensive effort."
Tobias, who finished with a double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds), factored into Staples' most important stretch of the game with three straight baskets to close out the first half. Fellow senior captain Sam Clachko assisted on all three plays.
"I thought that was the biggest point of the game," Tobias said. "I started missing my shots early, but Sam getting me with the great finds, that kind of started me rolling towards the end of the first half."
Staples coach Dave Goldshore appreciated the effort from Tobias.
"For him to have some toughness and grind out a couple of makes there in some big spots gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime," Goldshore said.
Staples (16-0) now needs four more victories to finish the FCIAC regular season undefeated.
Most of the tickets for Wednesday night's game, a matchup of the last two FCIAC champions, were sold on Tuesday, the original date of the game that was postponed due to the threat of inclement weather.
The remaining tickets sold out quickly Wednesday afternoon.
"That was the most fun I've had playing a basketball game, maybe ever," Tobias said. "It was a great showing by our student section. The gym was sold out and it felt like it. It was electric to play in."
Even in a loss, Trumbull coach Buddy Bray could appreciate the atmosphere, too.
"I brought them (his players) together that last timeout. I told them, ‘It's one game tonight. Yes, it was an important game, a big game, playoff atmosphere,' which was really good to see and I think that's going to help us moving forward," Bray said.
Clachko finished with 12 points, all in the second half. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.
Trumbull's Sean Wilson (21 points) played excellent defense on Clachko, shutting him out in the first half.
But Clachko was able to contribute with those assists to Tobias and still run the show while he struggled to find his offensive rhythm.
"He plays at a really nice pace," Bray said about Clachko. "He doesn't force anything. He takes what you give him and he's clever. He's got the finishes around the rim, his jumper is very good and he just makes really nice decisions with the basketball."
Staples scored the first four points of the second half to go up 10 (31-21). Trumbull never got within seven after that, and scored just six points in the final quarter.
Player of the Game
Mason Tobias, Staples:
Quotable
"I told them not to get down, 'Think about it on the bus ride home, then you've gotta let it go, because we really need to have a really good practice tomorrow (Thursday) to prepare for another very good team (Ridgefield) with another excellent coach (Andrew McClellan) on Friday and on the road.'" - Trumbull coach Buddy Bray.
Staples 54, Trumbull 36
TRUMBULL 7 14 9 6-36
STAPLES 10 17 13 14-54
Trumbull:
Staples:
3-point field goals:
Team records:
This article originally published at No. 3 Staples boys basketball grinds out win over No. 8 Trumbull in battle of FCIAC unbeatens.