The Salisbury boys' basketball team couldn't have asked for a better start in their season opener against Blue Mountain.

After a layup by Justin Aungst off the opening tip and quick run out of the gate, the Falcons found themselves up 10-2 early in the first quarter. Brad Vangeli scored eight points in the first quarter, including two three-pointers. But that's when the tides suddenly started to change a bit.

The Eagles then went on a 14-4 run to hold a two-point lead after the first quarter. Although the Falcons retook the lead going into halftime, 29-28, the second half saw the Eagles maintain a slight lead until pulling away at the end, 62-51, on Friday night at Salisbury High School.

"I told the guys in the locker room, I think that every time they needed to make a big play or to hit a shot they did," head coach Jason Weaver said. "We don't box out, they get a rebound and hit a three. We go down and have an offensive foul, and then they go down and hit a three. They just made the plays tonight."

The Eagles hit seven three-pointers in the game.

The Falcons opened up last season much like this season, with a loss to Blue Mountain to kick off their schedule. But Weaver isn't worried about his team going forward.

"We're going to get better," Weaver said. "We were in this point last year, and we went up there and lost by 13 to them. It's a learning experience. We have to handle their physicality and get ready to battle once again."

Following the Falcons' quick eight-point lead, neither team held a lead larger than six points through three quarters.

The Eagles managed to take an eight-point lead off consecutive baskets early in the fourth on a three-pointer and put back shot by Shane Grapsy. The Falcons, however, scored six straight points to pull within two with under three minutes to play.

Aungst, who scored a game-high 22 points for the Falcons, started the rally. Down eight, Aungst's shot in the paint brought the Falcons to with 51-45. Brendan Reichenbach came up with a steal and layup to make it a four-point game, and Aungst's reverse layup with 2:51 to play shifted momentum entirely toward the Falcons.

"He gives everything he has out there," Weaver said. "That's a credit to him as an athlete. He never takes a play off, and he never does not go 100 percent."

But missed free throws and turnovers for the Falcons, combined with solid free throw shooting from the Eagles down the stretch, helped Blue Mountain close the game on an 11-2 run.

In all, the Falcons committed 19 turnovers, including four in the fourth quarter. The Eagles made seven of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter.

"We played hard," Weaver said. "It was a tough battle, but I think they made the plays. Maybe they were a little bit more comfortable with the ball [and] a little more comfortable finding the open man and making that open pass.

"I think we at times rushed things when we didn't need to.

"Those [turnovers] are killers, especially in a game where it's really a two-possession game until the end."

Vangeli and Eddie Sanchez each scored eight points, while Reichenbach finished with six for the Falcons.

Four different Eagles scored nine points or more, led by Kyle Slane's 19 and Skyler Panchari's 14. Grapsy tallied 12 and Will Bornstein added nine.

Results from Tuesday's Colonial League opener against Palisades were not available at time of press. The Falcons will host Saucon Valley on Friday at 7 p.m.