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Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway blocks a shot attempt by Wilton's Antonio Brancato during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway blocks a shot attempt by Wilton's Antonio Brancato during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway shuts down a shot attempt by Wilton's Antonio Brancato during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway shuts down a shot attempt by Wilton's Antonio Brancato during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Wilton's Nick Kronenberg releases a shot as Fairfield Warde's Jeff Seganos Jr. defends during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Wilton's Nick Kronenberg releases a shot as Fairfield Warde's Jeff Seganos Jr. defends during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Wilton's Nick Kronenberg looks to block a shot by Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Wilton's Nick Kronenberg looks to block a shot by Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Wilton's Robbie Hermann lays up the ball as Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway, right, defends, during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Wilton's Robbie Hermann lays up the ball as Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway, right, defends, during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Wilton’s Robbie Hermann eyes the basket during Thursday’s game against Fairfield Warde.
Wilton’s Robbie Hermann eyes the basket during Thursday’s game against Fairfield Warde.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde’s Sean Conway attempts a shot against Wilton Thursday in Fairfield. Conway finished with a game-high 25 points to lead the Mustangs to a 75-58 win.
Fairfield Warde’s Sean Conway attempts a shot against Wilton Thursday in Fairfield. Conway finished with a game-high 25 points to lead the Mustangs to a 75-58 win.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway attempts as Wilton's Ryan Schriber tries to block during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway attempts as Wilton's Ryan Schriber tries to block during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde's Matthew Becker attempts a shot during boys basketball action against Wilton in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Fairfield Warde's Matthew Becker attempts a shot during boys basketball action against Wilton in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway attempts a shot over Wilton's Kyle Phillips during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Fairfield Warde's Sean Conway attempts a shot over Wilton's Kyle Phillips during boys basketball action in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday Jan. 18, 2018.
Photo: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
Houghton hits eight 3’s as Warde rolls past Wilton
FAIRFIELD — Over the summer, when the team would gather together for off-season workouts, Matt Houghton would hang around after practice and shoot 3-pointers. Hundreds and hundreds of 3-pointers.
“He probably shot thousands,” Warde coach Ryan Swaller said.
On Thursday night against Wilton with a soap opera atmosphere circulating through the Mustangs gym, Houghton put that practice to good use with a shooting night for the ages.
The junior guard hit eight 3-pointers, missing just once, and overall, the Mustangs connected on 14 3’s from behind the arc as Warde spoiled the return of Antonio Brancato to his former gym with a 75-58 romp.
“I made the few couple and from there, it was bombs away,” said Houghton, who finished with a season-high 24 points. “I was open, my teammates were finding me and it all that practice shooting afterwards, all that work paid off.”
The Mustangs gym was packed on both sides with massive student sections and also, the HAN Newtork was there, televising the game via the internet. The reason? The return of Brancato, who was a member of the Warde program for much of last season before some off-the-court incidents forced Swaller to dismiss Antonio, then a junior, and his older brother Giacomo, a senior, from the team.
And that intense atmosphere certainly affected Brancato, who scored a season-low four points.
“I think he tried to do too much tonight,” Wilton coach Joel Geriak said of Brancato. “He was trying to do way too much. It comes with the territory. I’ll talk to him about it, we’ll figure it out.”
For all intents and purposes, this game was pretty much over after the first quarter. With both student sections roaring, Warde kept its composure and put together an impressive defensive stand to hold the Warriors to just eight points while Houghton banged home a pair of 3’s as Warde opened a 22-8 lead and extended that to 34-20 at the half as Sean Conway came alive, scoring the Mustangs’ last seven points before halftime, finishing with 11.
“They did the same thing to us last year at our place. We just didn’t respond the way we should of,” Geriak said. “Give them credit, they didn’t miss. We tried to take Conway away the best we could and make the other kids beat us and they did.”
With Houghton connecting on a trio of 3-pointers in the third quarter and Conway adding 10 points, Warde lead 62-41 after three and coasted to the victory, it’s seventh in nine starts and remaining undefeated in FCIAC play at 5-0. Wilton, meanwhile fell to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the FCIAC.
“We have a group here that trusts one another,” Swaller said. “They look for one another, they made the extra pass … they (Wilton) did their best to take Sean out of it and the other guys stepped up.”
Conway led Warde with 25 points with Matt Becker adding 11 and Chris Bogan scoring eight. Scot Cunningham led Wilton with 24 points, making five 3’s. Kyle Maatallah had nine.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Warde guard Matt Houghton. The junior made eight of nine 3-pointers for a season-high 24 points. He made two 3’s in the first quarter and three more in the third and fourth quarters as the Mustangs rolled go the easy win.
QUOTABLE
“(Coach) always tells us that we want to keep the opponents to 14 points a quarter and I think we were pretty close to that tonight. We want to do that every single game and we can do that if we keep bringing the energy.” - Warde guard Matt Houghton.
WARDE 75, WILTON 58
WILTON (6-3, 4-2 FCIAC)
Scott Cunningham 7 5-6 24, Kyle Maatallah 4 1-2 9, Zayvion Edwards 0 1-2 1, Ryan Biberon 1 2-2 4, Antonio Brancato 2 0-0 4, Tucker Walden 1 1 1-2 4, Nick Kronenberg 2 0-0 5, Ryan Schriber 1 0-0 3, Kyle Hyzy 1 1-2 4, Kyle Shifrin 0 2-2 2. Totals: 19 13-19 58
WARDE (7-2, 6-0 FCIAC)
Chris Bogan 4 0-0 8, Daniel Fitzpatrick 1 0-0 2, Matt Houghton 8 0-0 24, Matt Becker 4 0-0 11, Sean Conway 9 5-5 25, Jeff Seganos 1 0-1 2, Nick Crescione 1 0-0 3. Totals: 28 5-6 75
WILTON 8 12 21 17—58
WARDE 22 12 28 13—75
3-point goals: Warde - Houghton 8, Becker 3, Conway 2, Crescione. Wilton -- Cunningham 5, Walden, Schriber, Kronenberg.
