Sarah Safranek helped spark the Palmer girls’ basketball team to its second straight win to open the season Wednesday night.

Safranek scored 14 points as the host Terrors won 60-44 over George Washington in the semifinals of the Pikes Peak Tip Off Classic.

Check out a photo gallery from the game here.

The senior scored five unanswered points to start the fourth quarter after a steal by teammate Taylor Torres.

“Safranek had a heck of a basketball game. … She kept us in the game,” Palmer coach Dave Shackelford said.

Missed foul shots by George Washington helped aid the Terrors’ victory.

Palmer next will face the winner of the other semifinal between Doherty and Douglas County in the tournament final on Friday.

The Terrors took a strong lead in the first quarter, but George Washington battled back to within two.

The run was short-lived, however, as Mary Miller hit a shot and Allie Metzler followed up with another basket to give the Terrors some breathing room with a 34-24 halftime lead.

Torres also finished with 14 points, and Miller, who just returned from a knee injury, added 11 for the Terrors (2-0).

Overall, Shackelford was happy with his team’s play.

“It was a little different from yesterday (Tuesday),” Shackelford said, referring to the nerves of his squad’s first game.

But Shackelford sees some issues his team needs to work on come Friday’s game.

One of those issues: “We just need to stick that orange thing in the hole a little more,” he said.

George Washington’s Jaynelle Johnson and Palmer’s Taylor Torres (24) scrambled for the ball during the first half Wednesday night at Palmer High School. Photo by JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE