The consensus in Division I basketball this season is that anybody can beat anybody.

In that landscape, Cranston West is thriving.

The Falcons may be young and they may not have known what to expect when the season began, but more often than not, they’ve found a way to come out on top.

In the process, they’ve emerged as a legitimate contender.

West beat Chariho 59-57 on Friday for its sixth consecutive league victory. Since dropping its first two league games, West has run its record to 6-2, tied for the fourth-best mark in D-I.

“The whole league is wide open,” said West head coach Jim Moretti. “Whatever scores you see, nothing’s a surprise. I’ve been telling the kids that all year, and I think they believe it now. You have to take care of business every night or you’re going to lose. So far, we’ve done that.”

After beating Cranston East and Mount Pleasant in the first week of January, the Falcons edged La Salle then smashed East Providence. They continued the surge last Tuesday with a 21-point victory over Hope.

On Friday against Chariho, it was more of a grind.

The Falcons were scattered on offense in the first half. At the other end, they gave up a host of easy baskets to Chariho’s big front line, which features 6-foot-5 Tyler Zegarzewski and 6-foot-4 Bradley Borsay. Midway through the half, the Chargers led by as many as five.

“They’re a tough team because they’re so big,” Moretti said. “We knew everything was going through their big guys, but we weren’t switching and we weren’t buckling down against them.”

The Falcons put a surge together just before halftime and took a three-point lead into the break. They built a 10-point lead early in the second half but saw it quickly evaporate. With three minutes left, Chariho was up by five.

“We came out strong to start the second half, but then it was like we just stopped,” Moretti said. “I don’t know what happened.”

Fortunately for the Falcons, the brand of defense that was missing in the first half made a grand entrance when it counted. Thanks to some big stops and points off turnovers, the Falcons got the lead back and held on down the stretch for the victory. Chariho missed a three-point try at the buzzer.

“This was a game where we didn’t play particularly well, especially on defense,” Moretti said. “It let us down a little bit in the first half, but we got it going eventually.”

Point guard Bryan Yarce led the charge for the Falcons, charting his second triple-double of the season. The junior tallied 21 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

“I don’t remember too many triple-doubles in my time,” Moretti said.

The way Yarce’s playing, maybe it’s not a surprise.

“He just does everything,” Moretti said. “He’s tough to defend and he sees the court extremely well. Our guys know that if they get open, he’s going to find them. And for a little guy, he gets his rebounds, too.”

Andrew Levy also had 21 points for West, while Vincent Cortellessa added seven. Cortellessa was also a defensive spark, which is becoming a familiar role for the senior captain.

“He plays with a lot of energy,” Moretti said. “I’ve been putting him on the best backcourt guy, and it’s working out very well. He’s always going. He’s a guy who hardly played last year, but he’s been a great leader for us.”

Cortellessa is one of only two seniors on the roster. With such a young squad, there might be a greater possibility that complacency could sneak in. But for West, the same any-given-day refrain that has helped pave the way for success can also be a lesson.

“I really think everybody is playing well right now, so you can’t take anything for granted,” Moretti said. “We’re all so bunched up that if you lose a game, you’re dropping three or four spots. We have some tough games coming, and they’re the kind of games you have to win if you want to be at the top.”

The Falcons played Exeter/West Greenwich on Tuesday and will travel to North Kingstown on Friday at 7 p.m. to take on the D-I-South leading Skippers. They’ll return home Monday for a 7 p.m. game against South Kingstown.