SARGENT SCHOOL – It was a battle of Top 5 teams Saturday as the fifth-ranked Sargent High School girls basketball team hosted third-ranked Sanford at the Farmers’ gym.

The game lived up to its hype. The Farmers had control in the first half, but the Mustangs gained the momentum in the second half and had to hold off a late Sargent charge to take a 45-39 win.

“I like where we were at halftime,” said Sanford coach Keith Caldon. “They’re a good team, but I knew we could come back. We got a lot of good shot we hadn’t made. I knew we could make them in the second half. I knew it would be a battle. They’re a good team. I’m glad to have great teams to play. It was a fun game.”

Avery Koenig gave Sanford an early 2-0 lead, but Kimmy Pargin made a 3-point basket. Kandace Pargin, Kimmy’s twin sister, drove for a layup to extend the lead to 5-2.

Koenig made a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Denver Holman, and Angelise Garcia both scored for a 9-4 lead.

Claire Crowther split at the line, followed by Koenig and Bella Peterson both scoring to tie the score at 9-9. Kandace Pargin made a layup, and Garcia two free throws for a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Brinyln Smith made a pair of free tosses for the first scoring of the second quarter. Kandace Pargin scored again, but so did Smith. Keira Ruggles split at the line to bring the Mustangs within 15-14.

Kimmy Pargin made two free throws, and Garcia scored in the paint. Kimmy Pargin split at the line, but Makynlee Faucette scored in the final minute to cut the lead to 20-16 at halftime.

Koenig made three free throws early in the third quarter, but Rylie Harmon scored, and Garcia drained a three for a 25-19 Sargent lead.

Koenig made back-to-back baskets, and Bella Peterson made a layup and a free throw to give the Mustangs their first lead since early in the game at 26-25. Hayden Peterson and Crowther both made treys to increase the lead to 32-25.

Garcia split at the line, but Faucette made two free throws. Ruggles scored with 13 seconds left in the quarter to give Sanford a 36-26 advantage at the end of the period.

Bella Peterson opened the fourth quarter with a layup, but Kimmy Pargin buried another three. Garcia scored in the paint to cut the deficit to 38-31.

Jewel Caldon made a layup and a free throw, and Smith also scored a layup to give Sanford its largest lead at 43-31.

Sargent then attempted a comeback effort in the final 2:12. First Kandace Pargin made two free throws, and Garcia made one of two. Kimmy Pargin scored a layup to reduce the deficit to 43-36 with 43 seconds remaining.

Crowther made a pair of free throws. Garcia made a 3-point basket at the buzzer to wrap up the s coring.

Koenig was Sanford’s top scorer with 13 points Garcia led Sargent with 16.

Sanford (14-1, 3-0) will host Monte Vista on Thursday.

“They’re good and they’re always scrappy,” coach Caldon said. “Their coach always had them playing hard, and I’m excited to play them. It will be a good game for us.”

Sargent (12-2, 2-1) will travel to South Park on Friday.

Sanford 45, Sargent 39

Sanford – Smith 2 2-2 6, Koenig 4 5-7 13, Crowther 1 3-5 6, Je. Caldon 1 1-1 3, Faucette 1 2-2 4, Jo. Caldon 0 0-0 0, B. Peterson 3 1-1 7, H. Peterson 1 0-0 3, J. Peterson 0 0-0 0, Ruggles 1 1-4 3. Total 14, 15-22 45.

3-point goals – Crowther 1, H. Peterson 1. Total 2.

Sargent – Garcia 5 4-6 16, holman 1 0-0 2, Ka. Pargin 3 2-4 8, Ki. Pargin 3 3-4 11, Gilleland 0 0-2 0, Naranjo 0 0-0 0, Harmon 1 0-1 2, Ullery 0 0-0 0, Deacon 0 0-0 0. Total 13 9-17 39.

3-point goals – Garcia 2, Ki. Pargin 2. Total 4.

Sanford 9 7 20 9 – 45

Sargent 13 7 6 13 – 39

Fouls – Sanford 19, Sargent 22.