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Boys Basketball
McKiernan Shoots Wilton To Overtime Win Over Staples
Dave Ruden
01.31.2023
WILTON — For much of tonight’s sensational boys basketball game between Wilton and Staples, the court was filled with a 6-8 center and nine players who seemed to be on a casting call for Hoosiers II.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they had the perfect Jimmy Chitwood.
Tommy McKiernan made five 3-pointers, including one to open overtime that set the tone for the finish, and made one of two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to lift Wilton to a 69-68 win at the Zeoli Field House. McKiernan finished with a game-high 25 points.
“It was close at the end but we’ve been playing overtime games a lot,” said McKiernan. “That’s helping us a lot.”
This was the third time Wilton needed overtime in its last six games, and the second in a row. The first was a double-overtime loss to New Canaan. The Warriors have won six in a row since to improve to 11-2. At 6-2 in the FCIAC, they are part of a three-way tie, along with Danbury and Fairfield Warde, for second place in league play, a game behind Ridgefield.
“It was back and forth the whole game,” said Wilton coach Joel Geriak. “Tommy looked better in general. He’s getting healthier, which helps. We’re playing deeper and he did a good job of letting the game come to him.”
Staples (10-3, 5-3) had a chance for the win, calling a timeout after McKiernan missed the second free throw. Caleb Smith, an All-State quarterback, inbounded the ball under the basket but his pass inadvertently hit the back of the backboard. McKiernan had his entry pass deflected with 2.1 seconds left, but Chris Zajac picked up the ball and didn’t have time to set himself as his attempt fell well short.
Cody Sale finished with 22 points to lead the Wreckers and rallied them from an eight-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. Zajac, the team’s dominant center, finished with 18 points but was held to six after halftime as he was surrounded by defenders. Freshman Sam Clachko made four 3-point shots and ended up with 16 points.
Neither team led by more than three points over the final nine minutes and 37 seconds in what was a classic finish. Wilton ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 53-45 lead. Staples opened the final quarter with a 9-0 run to go up by a point. Sale scored eight points in the sequence.
The lead changed hands four times in the final four minutes of regulation.
Trailing, 61-59, with 35 seconds left, the Wreckers held for a final try. A shot by Sale with 3.6 seconds remaining spun out, but he got the ball and found Adam Udell alone for a layup as time expired to force overtime. It was Udell’s only points of the night.
“I thought our kids played really well tonight,” Staples coach Dave Goldshore said. “This is a tough environment to win. I give Wilton credit for making one more play than we did down the stretch.”
McKiernan was unhesitant hitting an open trey off the tip in overtime. Sale responded with a 3-pointer and Clachko followed with a basket to put Staples up, 66-64. But the Wreckers’ lone lead over the final 7:45 lasted just 18 seconds. McKiernan scored on a runner and Jarvie hit a shot over Sale to put Wilton on top, 68-66.
Zajac scored inside with 19 seconds remaining to tie the game, setting the stage for the finish.
“I think this is definitely helping us with these close games and we’re closing games, and it’s fun doing it,” McKiernan said. “I wasn’t hitting my shots earlier in the season but I’m starting to find my groove.”
Wilton took a 33-31 halftime lead when Griffin Turner scored at the buzzer. The Warriors were able to deny Zajac the ball but Sale — who scored 13 points after the break — and Clachko stepped up.
“Zajac’s a problem and we tried to do what we could do,” Geriak said. “We went man to man and beat him up the best we could without fouling. We tried to get him off his block. He made big shots when he had to. Boy, that little freshman can shoot. And Sale hit two big shots.”
Max Jarvie had another big game for Wilton, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 19 points. Henry Roy scored 11 points.
Both teams struggled from the foul line. Staples made 12 of 20 shots and Wilton was four for nine.
“I thought the 3 at the tap by McKiernan was a huge, huge basket,” Goldshore said. “When we made the layup to force OT I felt really good about where we were and usually the first team that scores in OT wins.”
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