The Salisbury High School boys basketball team did it on both ends of the court in winning its first-round district playoff game last week.

The Falcons moved the ball around and showed their scoring prowess and depth on offense, then used intensity and strength on defense in a 59-29 win last Thursday night over Palisades in a District 11 Class 3A quarterfinal at Salisbury High School.

Salisbury was the four seed and the Pirates were the five seed. The Falcons limited Palisades to 12 field-goal attempts and caused 13 turnovers in the first half, while the offense hummed along and reached a double-figure lead late in the first quarter and never looked back.

“I told our guys in the gym just now, it’s a game that we’re walking in that I don’t think anybody expects much from the Salisbury Falcons at all,” said head coach Jason Weaver. “But I think defense travels. If we can play defense and we can handle the ball, not turn the ball over, let’s compete with them. We can compete with them, but we’ve got to play defense, and we’ve got to value the basketball.”

Quintin Stephens tallied a team-high 14 points while Quinn Warmkessel recorded 12 points and eight rebounds, nearly missing a double-double. He also added two steals.

The Falcons jumped on the Pirates from the onset, scoring 12 of the first 16 points of the game and led 12-4 after the first quarter and then taking complete control heading into the locker rooms, going ahead 28-13 at halftime.

“We had a good week of practice where we really got after it,” said Stephens. “The intensity was there from the opening tip-off. I feel like our defense played great. Everyone stepped up on both ends and we got a lot of contributions from different guys. If everyone plays with that energy we can play with anyone.”

Salisbury put the game out of reach as soon as play resumed in the second half, going on an 11-0 run to lead 39-13 midway through the third quarter.

The Falcons got contributions from a number of different players. Kyle Artis and Daniel Scialla each tallied seven points as nine Falcon players scored in the game, including six by Jackson Lopez, four each from Tyson Utesch and Hunter Bleam. Kenyo Herrera had three points and Baxter Reihman rounded out the scoring with two.

“We have a balanced team,” Stephens said. “When someone needs to step up they can and will. It can be somebody different every night. I have the confidence in anyone I pass the ball to that they will do the right thing with it.”

Salisbury then fell to District 11 Class 3A top seed Executive Charter by a score of 71-54 last Saturday in the semifinals.

The Falcons fell behind 23-11 by the end of the first quarter of their semifinal matchup and were down 38-19 at halftime before playing Executive about even during the season half.

Executive’s Kobe Magee scored a game-high 33 points in the win.

Salisbury was led Scialla with 12 points, while Herrera added 11.

The Falcons’ season end with the semifinal loss. They went 11-7 overall after ending the regular season 10-5 (7-3 Colonial League). They finished in third place in the West Division to earn a place in the league playoffs, where Salisbury fell to Palmerton on in the quarterfinals.

Four starters and some key reserves will graduate from this year’s team as seniors Hererra, Reihman, Scialla, Stephens and Warmkessel all played their final varsity basketball game Saturday.