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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

KIMBERLY – The Chelsea Hornets were firing on all cylinders from the opening tip on Monday, Jan. 27, and they rode a big performance from one of their biggest stars to extend their unbeaten run to nine games in a row.

Chelsea defeated the Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils 52-26 on the road at Mortimer Jordan High School behind a double-double performance from Haley Trotter.

The reigning Shelby County Player of the Year secured 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way for both teams. She reached double figures in both categories in the first half.

She was joined in double figures by sophomore guard Olivia Pryor, who had 14 points, five steals and four rebounds as the pair accounted for 37 of their team’s 52 points.

The pair started out the game strong as Trotter got into double figures in the first quarter alone, kicking off the contest with 10 points and four rebounds. Pryor contributed five points and a pair of rebounds while Juliann Bass, Kamryn Hudson and Caroline Brown also found the score sheet.

Chelsea’s typically strong defense surrendered a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers, but the Hornets still had a commanding 21-7 lead going into the second quarter.

That double-digit lead continued to grow as the defensive intensity ramped up. Chelsea allowed just two points in the second and got six steals as a team to give itself more opportunities to keep building on the lead.

Trotter scored eight points in the second while grabbing six more rebounds to give herself a double-double before halftime. The Hornets could only add three more points from there, but the defensive intensity allowed them to have a 32-9 lead ahead of the halftime break.

Chelsea’s dominance continued in the third quarter as Pryor added six points to get into double figures, Trotter scored five more points and Hudson got multiple shots to fall for four points total in the quarter.

As a result, the Hornets extended their lead to 48-16 at the end of the third quarter.

From there, Chelsea cruised to the win as Mortimer Jordan got more scoring opportunities against the Hornets backups but couldn’t close the very wide gap. That allowed Chelsea to seal the 26-point win and extend their win streak to nine in a row.

In addition to Trotter and Pryor’s totals, Hudson had six points, four steals and three rebounds while Brown scored five points. While Sadie Schwallie didn’t score in the win, she grabbed six steals to play a key role in the defensive pressure.

The 20-7 Hornets will finish out the regular season on the road at the Moody Blue Devils on Wednesday, Jan. 29 ahead of hosting the area tournament semifinals against Spain Park on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.