By JEFF ALLISON / Special to the Reporter

CHELSEA—The Pelham Lady Panthers defeated Chelsea Friday, Dec. 11 at Chelsea High School. The Panthers took a 5-2 lead and didn’t look back. The Panthers shot 49.5 percent from the field in the game.

“The game plan was to play as fast as possible on both ends of the floor,” said Lady Panthers head coach Adam Brown. “We tried to push it up the floor in transition and put as much pressure on the ball as possible. Our shot selection was really good tonight.”

In the first quarter, the Panthers scored first in the game on an Emorie Long three-pointer to give Pelham a 3-0 lead. With 5:06 left in the quarter, Jordan Allison made a 15-footer to give the Panthers a 5-2 lead and Pelham kept the lead throughout the game. With 4:49 left in the quarter, Allison made a driving layup for a Pelham 7-2 lead. With 3:26 left in the quarter, Jamila Wilson scored on two free throws and Pelham led 9-2. With 2:30 left in the quarter, Wilson made a layup to give the Panthers a 11-4 lead. With 2:02 left in the quarter, Wilson made a three-pointer and Pelham led 14-4. With 1:09 left in the quarter, Allison came back with a three-pointer for Pelham and the Panthers led 17-4 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Wilson made a driving layup to give Pelham a 19-4 lead. Wilson scored back-to-back layups and Pelham led 23-8 after 5:20 left in the quarter. With 4:54 left in the half, Sawyer Martin made two free throws and the Panthers led 25-9. With 2:58 left in the half, Wilson made another layup to give Pelham a 27-15 lead. With 1:49 left in the half, Allison made a layup from a Long steal and assist. With 45 seconds, the Long and Allison connection worked again and Pelham led 36-17. Allison had her own steal and layup and Pelham led 38-17 with 25 seconds left in the half. With nine seconds left in the half, Long made a layup and Pelham led 40-18 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Wilson mad an 8-footer and Pelham led 52-22 with 5:12 left in the quarter. With 3:05 left in the quarter, Wilson made a driving layup and the Panthers led 44-26. At the buzzer, Maddie Averhart made a driving layup to extend the Panthers lead to 50-31.

In the fourth quarter, Martin made a layup and Pelham led 52-34 with 6:33 left in the quarter. With 6:07 left in the game, Allison made an eight-footer to give the Panthers a 54-35 lead. With 4:17 left to go in the game, Long made two free throws and Pelham led 56-38. With 3:34 left in the game, Tra’Micah Waters scored on a layup and Pelham led 60-38.

For Pelham, Wilson had 31 points, Allison had 15 points and Long had seven points, five blocks and three steals.