Junior forward Edrick Alsworth pumped in 17 points to lead three players in double figures as the Loyd Star Hornets stung the East Marion Eagles 61-58 Friday night in Region 7-2A basketball action at Loyd Star’s gymnasium.

In girls’ action, the Lady Hornets clobbered the Lady Eagles 42-22.

Loyd Star will be on the road Tuesday for another huge regional test as they invade Liberty to take on the Amite County Trojans. The girls begin action at 6 p.m., followed by the boys.

Loyd Star 42, East Marion 22 

The Lady Hornets (11-8, 3-2) came out strong and overpowered the Lady Eagles in the first half to take a comfortable 19-2 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Loyd Star continued to roll by outscoring East Marion 23-20 to capture a huge district victory.

Junior guard Megan Givens was the offensive leader for the Lady Hornets with 12 points. Her twin sister, Marcey Givens, contributed 11 points. Hannah Dickerson chipped in with 10 points. Ruby McCullough led on the boards with nine rebounds, followed by Jordan Shelby with eight. McCullough and Shelby had four points apiece.

“Our defense set the tone for us in the first half,” said Loyd Star coach Gene ‘Moochie’ Britt. “The girls played hard and did a great job outrebounding them. Overall, I was pleased the girls’ effort. This was a good team victory.”

Audrianna Howard and Robineisha Thompson were the top scorers for the Lady Eagles with six points each.

Loyd Star 61, East Marion 58 

Loyd Star (14-4, 3-2) and East Marion provided an exciting contest for their basketball fans as the Hornets started strong and established a 14-4 advantage in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Eagles soared back and overpowered Loyd Star 31-22 as the Hornets took a slim 36-35 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the fierce battle heated up as both teams fought neck-to-neck with Loyd Star managing to maintain control by outscoring the Eagles 24-22 to earn the win.

Caleb Yarborough was the second leading scorer for the Hornets with 15 points and eight rebounds. Levi Redd provided 14 points and led on the boards with nine rebounds.

“This was a shootout from start to finish,” said Britt. “The guys outplayed East Marion defensively in the second half. We managed to keep East Marion’s top scorer off balance and limited them on their three-point shots.

“Overall, the guys played hard, but we need to do a better job shooting free throws,” continued Britt. “We missed too many free throws during the game, which could have made a difference on the score for us.”

Latoddric Fortenberry poured in game-high 23 points to lead the Eagles. Shavonte Coleman contributed 18 points, and Cordell Echols added 10 points.

In junior varsity boys action, the East Marion Eagles escaped with a 33-31 victory over the Hornets.

Jointer Jefferson led the Eagles with seven points, and Charlie Owens and Ty Owens contributed six points apiece.

Javion Beard paced the Hornets with 13 points, and Gregory Hooks added 10.