Wednesday night, Colorado Springs Christian’s boys basketball team scored a season low in points.  But the win might be one of the Lions’ most impressive.  On an evening where baskets were hard to come by, CSCS battled through turnovers and a determined Manitou Springs defense to earn a 44-41 home win.  The Lions (11-3) extended their win streak to seven games and remained perfect at home. Entering Wednesday’s contest, CSCS averaged nearly 65 points per game. Manitou (10-5), which was on a five-game win streak prior to Wednesday, averaged north of 61 points. In the third quarter, the two teams combined for six points as the Lions entered the final frame with a slim 29-26 lead.  The hosts opened up the fourth quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Sam Cosner and sophomore Sam Salsbery. The Mustangs answered with a 10-2 run in the ensuing minutes, but just as a basket from Manitou’s Sabestian Steger put the visitors within a point of the Lions, Salsbery came through again, connecting on a second shot from beyond the arc.  “Coach Tanner (Johnson) said if we shoot threes, they gotta fall. If not, we’re coming on the bench, so I had to make those ones fall,” Salsbery said. “My teammate he found me at the top of the key, just a good open look, and then Nate (Aichele) found me in the corner, knocked that one down.”   After the big shot from Salsbery, Lions senior Levi Williams sunk four clutch free throws to secure the win.  Salsbery finished with a team-high 12 points on Wednesday, and Williams added 10. Despite being a sophomore on a team full of upperclassmen, Salsbery has never shied away from a big moment, Johnson said.   “He’s just a hooper,” he said of Salsbery. “For a young guy, especially with an older crowd, you’d think he’d be a little bit hesitant but he never is. But the thing I was most proud of is we got a little bit selfish in the third quarter and finally we went the extra pass and it was the extra pass that created the opportunity for him.” Mid-game adjustments were key for CSCS as the Mustangs had the momentum in the first and third quarters.  Manitou forced several CSCS turnovers in the game but a cold shooting night for the Mustangs kept them from claiming momentum and the lead. The offense was there for Manitou in the first quarter as senior Cohen Barnett drove the basket and drew fouls on three separate occasions. Barnett scored five points from the line as part of a nine-point quarter to give the Mustangs a 16-12 advantage. Then, between CSCS’s defense and Manitou just being unable to make shots, the Lions took control of the game. Manitou still forced turnovers, but couldn’t capitalize on offense. The Mustangs were held to 10 points in the second and third quarters.  Meanwhile, the Lions clawed their way back in the second. Senior Maximiliano Cota-Cordova converted an And-1 opportunity and senior Sam Delello hit a 3-pointer as part of a 13-point quarter for CSCS.  “Manitou they are scrambling. We knew coming in, it was just a spring for 32 minutes and despite being prepared for it, they still had us turning the ball over,” Johnson said. “Last year, a game that felt like this with these kinds of turnovers was a blowout for us, but to see them grow, get free throws when we needed them, get stops when we needed them, really showed a lot of growth from last year to this year.  With the win, the Lions remain perfect in the competitive Tri-Peaks League with a 7-0 conference mark to keep pace with Banning Lewis, which sits at 8-0.  ...read more read less