Lady Hornets unable to hold early lead

Things started out great, but the Chelsea High School girls basketball team was unable to retain that momentum in a 65-46 loss at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on Monday night in a Class 6A Central Sub-Regional game.

With the loss, the Lady Hornets conclude a season that saw them back in the playoffs.

Hillcrest came into the game winners of the Class 6A, Area 7 tournament and ranked No. 6 by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in the classification.

But that did not prevent the Lady Hornets from coming out and catching fire early. Chelsea's strong start propelled the team to a 16-10 lead after a quarter of action. 

The Lady Hornets' offense slowed significantly in the second quarter, as they were held to just seven points, but found themselves down just one, 24-23, at halftime.

However, Hillcrest outscored Chelsea 14-4 in the third quarter to take control of the game, and the Lady Patriots solidified that edge in the final period to take the victory.

Michaella Edwards achieved a double-double, something not uncommon to her this season. Edwards registered a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Allie Miller joined her in double figures with 13 points. 

The Lady Hornets picked up 10 steals in the game, including five from Miller and four from Edwards. Miller also hauled in six rebounds and dished out three assists.

Jordan Parker, Kathryne Shoop, Emily Lamberson, Suzanne Ridgway and Hope Richard also scored in the game for Chelsea.

Hillcrest advances to the Central Regional, where it will play Opelika on Friday.