Junior guard Caleb Yarborough pumped in 19 points, six steals and seven assists to lead three players in double-figures as the Loyd Star Hornets crushed the Salem Wildcats 60-46 in basketball action Thursday night at Loyd Star gymnasium.

In the girls’ game, the Salem Lady Wildcats handed the Lady Hornets their first loss of the season with a 45-40 victory.

Loyd Star returns to action Tuesday as they prepare to host the Bogue Chitto Bobcats for four games. Junior varsity action tips off at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity games at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Salem 45, Loyd Star 40

The Lady Hornets (2-1) and Lady Wildcats battled hard in a back-and-forth contest as Salem managed to take a 20-17 lead into halftime. In the second half, both teams continue their tough physical bout as the Lady Wildcats held on for the win.

Marcie Given and Megan Givens were the offensive leaders for the Lady Hornets with 10 points and four rebounds apiece. Jordan Shelby ruled the boards for Loyd Star with 10 rebounds and chipped in six points.

“The girls played hard and hustled all night,” said Loyd Star coach Gene “Moochie” Britt. “Salem has a very good team and they controlled the boards really well against us. Overall, we need to continue improving to get better and limit our turnovers.”

Markeria Butler paced the Lady Wildcats’ offense with 14 points. Alandra Coleman and Ariel Fortenberry contributed 10 points each.

Loyd Star 60, Salem 46

The Loyd Star Hornets (2-0) came out strong and took control of the contest from the start and coasted to the finish line over Salem.

Edrick Alsworth was the second leading scorer for the Hornets with 17 points. Brad Jasper added 15 points and blocked six shots. Ethan Newman and Alsworth were the leaders on the boards with six rebounds apiece.

“Glad to get the win,” said Britt. “We started the game off strong and continued to play hard. Overall, it was a great team effort against a good Salem squad.”

Austin Fazande and Robert Tibbs were the top scorers for the Wildcats with 15 points apiece.