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Chelsea’s defensive pressure proved too much for the Helena Huskies as Haley Trotter’s double-double and Caroline Brown’s 15 points helped the Hornets improve to 4-0 in area play. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HELENA – The Chelsea Hornets continued their dominant run through area play as they relied on a strong night from their defense to pull away for another area win.

The Hornets defeated the Helena Huskies 43-20 on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at Helena High School as Haley Trotter’s double-double led a big offensive night from her and Brown while the entire team hustled their way to their fourth-straight victory in area play.

Chelsea took an early lead but Helena tied it up off a Mallory Rhodes 3-poitner. However, that proved to be the only points from the Huskies in the quarter as Jason Harlow’s team settled into its traditionally stingy defense.

That allowed the offense to close the quarter on a 9-0 run. While the Hornets couldn’t get many shots to fall from deep, they found more success inside the arc. Caroline Brown followed up a Haley Trotter basket with a layup off an inbounds steal to increase the lead to 10-3.

Trotter also hit a mid-range basket that was the only basket of the final 3:52 of the quarter, giving her team a 12-3 lead going into the second quarter.

Chelsea’s defense only intensified in the second as using Brown to press and force the Huskies into the trap past midcourt consistently worked.

Helena broke a scoreless start to the quarter with a second-chance basket from Anna Owens with 5:35 remaining until the break. The Hornets responded with second-chance points of their own after Trotter hit a 3-pointer off a key rebound from Olivia Pryor.

Trotter grew the lead to 18-5 and nearly increased it again off a 3-point attempt, but when it missed, Juliann Bass was perfectly positioned for the rebound and put-back to make the lead 20-5 with 3:13 left in the half.

The Huskies found the scoreboard once again off an Isabel Heintz 3-pointer, but mere seconds later, Kamryn Hudson responded with a basket to send Chelsea to the break with a 22-8 lead.

The Hornets stormed out of the gate in the second half, using a Pryor 3-pointer to take the lead to 27-10.

Those were the first of 13 straight points from Chelsea as Trotter quickly added a layup and Pryor found Brown on a long pass for a layup, triggering a Helena timeout with the deficit at 31-10 with 6:18 remaining in the third.

Trotter kept the momentum going with back-to-back close-range baskets, and Brown made a layup off a steal to increase the lead to 37-10 with 4:27 left in the quarter.

The Huskies managed a pair of baskets in response from Destiny Brashears and Gracelyn Ambrose down low, but the Hornets held them scoreless for the last three minutes of the quarter to take a 37-14 lead into the fourth.

Chelsea cruised from there to a 23-point victory to keep its area record perfect.

Trotter led the Hornets with 17 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. Brown joined her in double figures with 15 points to go with her three steals. Kamryn Hudson scored four points and had three rebounds.

Pryor and Bass hustled their way to solid nights as Pryor earned five steals, three rebounds and a block and Bass had four rebounds and two while scoring two points.

Rhodes led Helena with seven points and Amari Grant scored four points in a 4-for-6 performance from the free throw line in the second half.

With the win, Chelsea is now 16-7 overall and 4-0 in area play. The Hornets can wrap up the regular season Class 6A, Area 8 title and the right to host the area tournament with a win on Friday, Jan. 17 against the Pelham Panthers at 6 p.m. at Pelham High School.

The Huskies slipped to 12-9 and 2-2 in area play and will host the Spain Park Jaguars on Friday, Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Helena High School.

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