Six games into the season, the Borah High boys basketball team is still working to establish a cohesive rhythm on offense.

Defense, however, hasn’t been a problem.

The Lions snatched up 17 steals to win their 29th consecutive game with a 48-39 victory over Eagle on Thursday night at Borah High.

“Defensively we are playing well, but we are really struggling getting in sync with each other and reading each other,” Borah coach Cary Cada said.

“I think there were a number of times tonight we broke apart offensively partially due to Eagle playing good defense, but on the flip side, we need to come together better if we are going to do well at the end.”

Having lost three starters and 10 seniors from last year’s 5A state championship team, the Lions entered the season with plenty of new faces on the roster.

But new faces haven’t altered expectations. The Lions were picked to repeat as 5A Southern Idaho Conference champions in a preseason coaches’ poll, and they have remained the unanimous No. 1 in the Idaho state media poll for three consecutive weeks.

Borah has held each of its first six opponents to less than 40 points, and after Rocky Mountain’s overtime loss to Capital on Thursday, Borah is the only unbeaten team remaining in the 5A SIC.

“It has been an awesome ride so far,” said 6-foot-6 Borah senior Joe Nelson, who assumed a starting role this season. “We still have a lot to work on, but I think we’ve shown that we have what it takes to at least get back to the state tournament and try to defend our title.”

Eagle did its best to put an end to the Lions’ winning streak, which began Dec. 10, 2011.

The Mustangs missed just one basket in the first quarter and shot 80 percent from the floor in the first half.

But 16 first-half turnovers kept the Mustangs from taking a lead into the break.

Borah led 26-22 at the half, scoring 17 of those points off Eagle turnovers. Eagle committed 20 turnovers in the game, resulting in 26 Borah points.

“I think when we are doing bad on offense, defense is going to always help us get our energy back,” Borah junior point guard Isaiah Wright said.

Wright — a three-year starter — led the Lions with 12 points, five steals, four assists and four rebounds, while Nelson added 13 points and seven rebounds and senior Cody Spjute had 11 points.

Eagle senior and BYU recruit Braiden Shaw produced his second straight double-double of the season, scoring a team-high 13 points with 12 rebounds.