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Chelsea’s Aiden Owens finished with 27 points to celebrate senior night on Friday, Jan. 24, as the Hornets took down Spain Park to earn hosting rights for the area tournament for the first time. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Publisher

CHELSEA – With his team leading visiting Spain Park by 10 points going into the final quarter in the final area game of the regular season on Friday, Jan. 24, Chelsea senior Aiden Owens became determined.

Not yet knowing it, but with the chance to cement Chelsea’s first area tournament hosting rights on the line, Owens took a 10-point game and quickly put it out of reach when he scored eight of the team’s first nine points of the fourth quarter.

That effort was part of a 9-0 run from the Hornets that quickly put the game out of reach with a 50-31 advantage.

Chelsea went on to polish off a 59-40 victory that saw Owens finish with 27 points on senior night and teammate Jordan Garcia adding 21 in a win that locked up the team’s first chance to host an area tournament after Helena came back to shock Pelham by one point later in the night.

It capped off a game that saw Chelsea hold firm control for much of the night, starting with a 16-point effort in the opening quarter that doubled up the Jaguars.

Owens did have four points in that opening quarter, but it was Garcia who got off to a flaming hot start, hitting three from beyond the arc in the period and totaling 12 points.

Their combined 16 points paired with a defensive effort that limited Spain Park to single digits at eight points led to a solid eight-point advantage going to the second quarter.

That momentum carried into the second quarter for the Hornets, building a 14-point lead midway through the period and holding that at the half thanks to a 31-17 advantage.

Chelsea went 8-10 from the free throw line in the quarter, which played a key role in the advantage as Spain Park went 1-5 from the line and failed to convert on several second-chance opportunities.

The Hornets came out in the second half and looked like they were going to run away with the win thanks to two quick baskets from Garcia and Owens, but Spain Park was able t0 hit timely 3-pointers in the third quarter to keep the game within reach.

Harrison Stewart poured in nine points in the quarter for the Jags, including two from beyond the arc, while Walker Coxhead added a 3-pointer and Jon Fonbah made two free throws.

The Hornets did get a 4-4 mark from the line from Owens and six points from the senior in the quarter, but Spain Park had done enough to turn a 17-point deficit at one point into a 10-point game going to the final period.

Owens, however, started the final quarter with an and-1 followed by an offensive rebound that led to two made free throws. After the Jags made one of two on the other end, Owens did the same followed by two more made free throws to build the lead to 50-31.

From there, the uphill climb became too much for the Jags, as Chelsea finished off the final quarter with a 13-18 mark from the free throw line to complete the 19-point win.

Owens and Garcia’s combined 48 points was the highlight for Chelsea, as the two helped earn the Hornets hosting rights for the area tournament in early February.

Spain Park was led by Stewart’s 12 points in the loss, while five others had four or five points in the game.

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