CENTER — It was a non-league meeting of two Southern Peaks League (SPL) teams. Sanford met Center girls basketball on Friday night. Sanford took the win by a score of 41-28.

Sanford (6-4, 1-0 SPL) entered their league schedule with a splash last week knocking off South Park 60-6. Center entered the league schedule with two straight games against the strength of the SPL. Last week they took on Del Norte (9-1) and Friday they met Sanford.

Sanford got off to a great start on the road against Center. After creating a 10-6 lead in the first quarter, the visiting Sanford girls kept building with 13 more unanswered points that continued into the second quarter. Sanford sophomore Haley Faucette chipped in 5 points during the run. A free throw from Center’s Elexus Trujillo got Center on the board in the second quarter. Sanford’s Asia Caldon sank the final basket of the half and Sanford went to the break with a 25-7 lead.

One can only speculate what kind of motivational speech Center’s head coach Jan Vigil gave in the locker room but the Vikings came out with some fire in their belly.

Center’s Brandi Almeida and Alexis Varela combined for 5 points coming back from the break. Two treys from Sanford’s Cheyenne Caldon and Mackenzie Peterson got Sanford on the board in the third and Center kept pushing the pace with a 9-point run to close the third quarter.

A productive quarter helped Center close the distance to a 31-21 deficit. But the second-quarter lull was too much to overcome.

Sanford stayed hot from beyond the arc with Asia Caldon and Faucette chipping in threes in the fourth to help cement their lead, both teams combined for four trips to the free-throw line late and Sanford got out of Center with a 41-28 win.

Alexis Varela led Center in scoring with 11 points. For Sanford, it was Asia Caldon who posted 14 points in the win.

The win puts Sanford on their second streak of the year, they will take that momentum with them for the second road contest of the weekend against Sargent (5-5, 1-0 SPL) on Saturday. Center will get a week off and will take the court next against Sierra Grande (3-6) on Jan. 31. The league designated game between Center and Sanford is slated for Valentine’s Day in Sanford.