Six games into its FCIAC schedule, Greenwich High School’s varsity girls basketball team is undefeated, its latest win coming against an opponent that was also unbeaten in conference play going into its showdown against the Cardinals – longtime rival Staples.

Intent on starting the game strong, the Cardinals wasted little time in seizing control of this much-anticipated FCIAC matchup, earning a double-digit lead by halftime on their way posting their 10th win of the season.

Sophomore center Zuri Faison scored 15 of her game-high 24 points in the first half and senior guard/forward Madi Utzinger finished with 13 points to power Greenwich to an impressive 55-42 win over visiting Staples on Jan. 23rd. With the victory, the Cardinals raised their FCIAC record to 6-0 and overall mark to 10-1. Coach Megan Wax’s Cardinals, who played stellar defense throughout their triumph against Staples, are No. 3 in the CIAC Class LL state rankings. Staples is 5-1 in FCIAC play and has an overall record of 9-1.

“We knew going into this game how intense it was going to be,” Wax said. “We know how intense their defense was and how we were going to have to match that on our side of the ball.”

“I’m really proud of the girls, because we talked about being hyper aggressive, we talked about being in the lanes, we talked away taking away looks that we knew they wanted to and I felt overall, we did that every well,” Wax continued.

Sophomore point guard Elsa Xhekaj scored 12 points with one 3-pointer and senior guard Juliette Pelham had four points for GHS, which held a 15-8 lead on Staples following the first quarter and 29-17 advantage at halftime.

Since losing their season-opener to Sacred Heart Academy, the Cardinals have won 10 consecutive games, winning each one by double figures. Indeed, the Cards knew they had to be at their best to dictate the pace of their matchup versus the Wreckers.

“Staples is a really good team, they’re an aggressive team, but that’s a good challenge for us, because we needed that to push through the game,” said Faison, who besides making baskets from the low post area, converted three 3-pointers.

“I work on it at practice, if I have it, I take it,” Faison said of her 3-point shooting touch.

Utzinger made a baseline jump shot, Faison scored on a putback and Xhekaj went coast to coast for a layup, giving Greenwich a quick 6-0 lead 1:50 into the first quarter and prompting a Wreckers timeout.

“The past few games we started off slow, so we knew this is a tough team, so we come in and really push and give our ‘A’ game from the start and go quarter by quarter,” said Utzinger, a captain. “That was our goal and I think we did pretty well with that.”

Utzinger made a layup off an Xhekaj steal, Xkekaj hit a foul shot and Faison scored off a baseline drive, making it 15-8 in favor of the hosts heading into the second quarter.

Pelham converted a layup, Utzinger swished a shot from beyond the arc and Faison made a turnaround shot from deep in the paint, upping the Cardinals advantage to 26-14 late in the second quarter.

Staples received a team-high 21 points from junior forward/captain Chloe Smith, who had 13 second half points. Senior guard/captain Freya Harvey totaled eight points, as did senior captain Emma Asiel.

The first half concluded with Faison making a 3-pointer from the top of the key, putting GHS on top, 29-17.

Meanwhile, Greenwich’s man-to-man defense was effective in slowing down Staples’ offense. The Cardinals closed out on the Wreckers’ perimeter shooters and did a solid job on the defensive backboards. Once the Cards grabbed rebounds, they did their best to get the ball up court quickly.

“We were able to cause a lot of turnovers, a lot of jump balls. We were able to push in transition, which is something that we really thrive in,” Wax noted.

Baskets from Pelham, Faison and Utzinger gave GHS a 36-22 lead early in the third quarter. A bit later on, Utzinger drilled a 3-point shot from the left side and Faison converted another 3-point shot, extending Greenwich’s cushion to 43-23. Xhekaj’s basket off a spin move made it 45-23. She made a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, putting GHS in front, 48-25.

“We played together, we played as a team and we executed everything we did in practice, so we were prepared,” Xhekaj said.

Indeed, the Cardinals performed well against Staples’ man-to-man defense and its pressure defense.

“They play very aggressive, very high up, but we broke it and played together,” Xhekaj said. “We were excited to play them and we love competition. It worked out well.”

Said Utzinger: “We all work well together, we move the ball, we attack and we’re always looking for the extra pass. It’s really nice to be able to have a dynamic five that works together. I’m really excited, we knew this was a big game. We really wanted to win and I think it showed.”

The Cardinals were aware they had the size advantage heading into the game with Faison leading the way.

“We knew going into this game that positionally we were going to be able to make use of Zuri, we felt there was a bit of a mismatch in that area,” Wax said. “Going in, we focused a lot on how our guards were going to match up and how they were going to feed the ball in and make them shift. She gave it her all and really all night, she was awesome today.”

Senior forward Maddie Young added two points for Greenwich, which visits Trumbull on Jan. 28th at 7 p.m. The Eagles are also enjoying a sensational season with a record of 6-0 in the FCIAC and 11-0 overall.

“Trumbull, they’re a good team too, we just have to be ready,” Faison said.

Of course, the Cards hope to get off to the same type of start against Trumbull as they did versus Staples.

“We were all excited, even in the locker room, this was a long time coming,” said Pelham, a captain. “I think we matched up to the competition. Our defense was tough. We had to fill in the gaps, a lot of help defense, because they’re strong in the paint, but we did what we had to do.”