The Salida Spartans waltzed into their matchup on Friday with three straight wins but they left with four. They took down Manitou Springs 58-39. Given Salida's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 60th, while Manitou Springs is ranked 203rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Salida was led to victory by Kason Westphal and Ryan Osness. Westphal dropped a double-double on 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Osness scored 17 points along with five steals. Osness is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last eight games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Grant, who scored 11 points along with seven rebounds.
Salida's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2. They've been dominating during the games in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 30.47 points. As for Manitou Springs, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Salida will take on Colorado Springs Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Manitou Springs, they will be playing at home against St. Mary's at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. St. Mary's is coming into the contest on a five-game losing streak.
