Over the final 15 minutes of last week’s summer league game against Lehighton, Salisbury head coach Jason Weaver saw some things he was pleased with. He also saw some things that his Falcons need to work on.

After giving up a six-point lead in the second half and watching Lehighton grab a 52-43 lead in the final minutes, Salisbury made a run of its own. Unfortunately, it was that defensive breakdown that had a lasting impact minutes prior as Lehighton (4-5) handed Salisbury (6-2) its second loss of the season with a 53-51 victory at Cedar Beach.

“We were probably up six or eight at some point with like 15 minutes left, and then they went on a run and we gave up some bad baskets,” Weaver said. “It’s the same thing, in my mind, that we have to keep focusing on and getting better on is those defensive lapses.”

Salisbury’s 8-1 spurt to close out the game included a number of 3-pointers from rising-senior guard Blake Jones, including one that brought the Falcons within two points in the final seconds. But a late Falcon shot in the key rimmed out, and an offensive rebound went without a field opportunity.

“You could see it at the end there,” Weaver said. “We were down like nine with a minute to go, and we can score points in a hurry if we need to. But we have to get better on defense.”

Jones scored 15 of Salisbury’s 53, including four from 3-point range ,and was a main piece in the comeback. Weaver expects the knock-down shooter to continue being a main threat from that range come next winter.

“I know Jaxon [Costello] has been our leading scorer, but I think Blake is a guy that with his experience last year as a starter hits some big shots for us,” Weaver said. “He’s really important for us because his ability to hit shots is going to open things up inside for Jaxon and Ryan [Slutsky]. When we do open gyms, Blake has just been on fire.”

That’s certainly been the case for much of the summer season so far. Costello, who scored 10 against Lehighton, has been a dominant presence inside for opposing post players. The holes opened for Slutsky, too, who scored seven in the loss.

Add in the slashing and aggressive play of Jack Reichenbach, who added 14 against the Indians, and you have a backcourt capable of virtually anything.

“I think [Chad] Cooperman maybe made two or three more, but Blake didn’t start the whole season,” Weaver said. “I think percentage-wise both were about 42 percent, which from three is really good.

“We might have to ask him to handle the ball a little bit more, too. I don’t expect him to be our point guard, but I think there is going to be times when he is going to have to bring the ball up and handle pressure. That’s something he didn’t have to do last year.”

Weaver sees a little bit of a former Falcon in Jones’ style of play as well.

“He can get hot and he can hit three or four in a quarter when he gets on fire,” Weaver said. “He also has the ability to get to the basket and finish, which is something that Tyler [Brown] did as well.”

Salisbury held an early 9-4 lead against Lehighton in the first half, but neither team separated themselves by more than those five points over the first 20 minutes of play.

Salisbury’s game against Warren Hills two days later was postponed due to graduation at the New Jersey high school. Results from Tuesday’s game against Faith Christian were not available at time of press. Only two games remain on the schedule-Thursday against Upper Perk and next Tuesday with a rematch against Lehighton.

The Falcons head into the final three games of the season in third place in the Stellar Summer League Small School Division. They trail Lincoln Leadership (9-1) and Faith Christian (8-1), while holding a half-game lead on fourth-place Saucon Valley (6-3).