Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

VESTAVIA HILLS – The Chelsea Hornets participated in one of the biggest showcases in the Birmingham area as they hit the road to Vestavia Hills High School to play in the Fran Braasch Invitational.

Chelsea rebounded from a 66-35 loss to the Hillcrest Patriots out of Tuscaloosa on Friday, Dec. 13 with a 68-15 win over the Parker Thundering Herd on Saturday, Dec. 14.

In the win against Parker, Haley Trotter got right to work early in the game, scoring nine points in the opening quarter to lead the way for the offense.

Combined with baskets from Caroline Brown, Olivia Pryor and Kamryn Hudson, that helped the Hornets outpace the Thundering Herd and take a 16-7 lead into the second quarter.

After allowing seven points in the opening quarter, Chelsea’s trademark defense kicked into gear and allowed just eight points the rest of the way.

That opened the door for the Hornets offense to pull away, especially after they scored 23 points in the second quarter. Brown scored seven points in the second while Schwallie got on the scoresheet with her first six points of the game and Juliann Bass had four points during that span.

As a result, Chelsea took a 39-11 lead into the halftime break and didn’t look back from there.

After allowing just two points in the third on defense, Trotter and Pryor got to work on the offensive end as Trotter scored six points and Pryor had five in the third quarter.

The two combined for 11 of their team’s 17 third-quarter points, extending the Hornets’ lead to 56-13 at the end of the third.

From there, Pryor and Hudson paced the offense in the fourth quarter, combining for 12 points in the final eight minutes as Parker could only muster two more points off free throws.

That gave Chelsea the 53-point win to get back to winning ways.

Four Hornets got into double figures, including Trotter with 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals, Pryor with 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals, Hudson with 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals and Brown with 11 points and three rebounds. Schwallie also added six points and a pair of rebounds and steals in the win.

Chelsea is off until Dec. 19 when it will start the second of three Christmas tournaments. The Hornets will play Homewood at 6 p.m. in the first round of the Big Orange Classic at Hoover High School.