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Chelsea stayed perfect with a dominant win over Thompson driven by its standout trio of Caroline Brown, Sadie Schwallie and Haley Trotter. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Hornets became the first county team to reach 10 wins on the season as they continued their remarkable start with a 63-39 win over the Thompson Warriors at home on Friday, Dec. 1.

Just like in many of Chelsea’s games this season, the trio of Caroline Brown, Sadie Schwallie and Haley Trotter led the way on offense and powered the Hornets to victory.

Brown kicked off the game with an incredible first quarter to help Chelsea jump in front and set the tone early. She scored 14 of her 19 points in the opening eight minutes, including a pair of three-pointers, as the Hornets scored 21 as a team during that span.

Trotter showed great hustle play in the first quarter, grabbing three steals and two rebounds, while Schwallie and Madeline Epperson both had a pair of rebounds to keep Thompson to 13 points, with six of the Warriors’ points coming from Jayla Forbes.

The Warriors were still very much in the game despite being down 21-13, but the Hornets would extend their advantage before the halftime buzzer sounded.

Schwallie led the way in the second quarter with seven points, and Trotter had four boards to help Chelsea keep Thompson to single digits in the quarter.

The Hornets outscored the Warriors 13-9 in the second, and they led 34-22 going into the halftime break.

The third quarter saw both Trotter and Schwallie shine as Schwallie directed the offense and Trotter dominated inside.

Trotter had seven points and a pair of steals in the third and Schwallie scored five. Epperson put in the effort as well with two rebounds and two assists to put Chelsea up 49-31 at the end of the quarter.

Trotter kept the points coming in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of the Hornets’ 14 points down the stretch.

She also had four rebounds and two steals and went 6-for-9 from the free throw line, including four straight made free throws from a play that drew both a personal and technical foul late in the game.

Schwallie scored the other two baskets to help Chelsea close out the 63-39 win.

Brown led the Hornets in scoring with 19 points and also had three rebounds and three steals. Schwallie scored 18 points and collected three rebounds.

Trotter recorded a double-double by scoring 17 points while adding 11 rebounds, and she also had seven steals in the game.

Juliann Bass scored five for Chelsea, and while Epperson was scoreless on the night, she recorded seven rebounds and three steals.

Forbes led Thompson with 10 points, Kayla Russell had seven points and Karlyn Oden and Morgan Adolphus scored five points each.

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