The Loyd Star Lady Hornets and the West Lincoln Bears captured thrilling victories in Region 7-2A basketball action Friday night in Loyd Star Gymnasium

In the girls’ game, the Lady Hornets rallied late to force overtime and outscored West Lincoln 5-1 in the extra frame to win 35-31.

In boys’ action, the Bears survived a defensive battle against the Hornets to prevail 64-59.

West Lincoln resumes district action Tuesday as they welcome the East Marion Eagles to Jack Case Gymnasium for a three game contest. The junior varsity boys will tip off at 5 p.m.

Loyd Star will be on the road Tuesday for a big district match up as they invade Bassfield to battle the Yellowjackets in a tripleheader. The junior varsity boys will start action at 5 p.m.

Loyd Star 35, West Lincoln 31 

The Lady Hornets and Lady Bears provided a tough defensive battle from start to finish in front of a packed house Friday night.

In the first half, West Lincoln (5-17, 3-4) managed to secure a 15-14 lead over Loyd Star at halftime.

In the second half, the tough defensive bout continued to heat up as both teams fought hard, but the Lady Hornets outscored the Lady Bears 16-15 as sophomore center Hannah Dickerson’s last second layup tied the game at 30-all to force overtime.

In overtime, Loyd Star (12-8, 4-2) controlled the extra period from the start as they held off West Lincoln’s attacks and outscored the Lady Bears 5-1 to preserve the victory.

Dickerson was the top shooter for the Lady Hornets with 20 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Shelby led on the boards with eight rebounds.

“Glad to get the win,” said Loyd Star coach Gene “Moochie” Britt. “The girls did a great job fighting until the very end and made the plays needed to get the win.”

Sophomore guard Alli Mullins was the offensive leader for the Lady Bears with eight points. Heather Moak and Hanna Moak contributed six points apiece. Hanna Moak paced the Lady Bears on the boards with 10 rebounds.

“We should have won the game in regulation,” said West Lincoln coach Lane Young. “We did not play smart basketball in the closing seconds, and Loyd Star outplayed us in overtime.”

West Lincoln 64, Loyd Star 59 

The Hornets came out pumped up in the opening quarter and overpowered West Lincoln to a 16-9 lead, before the Bears bounced back and thumped Loyd Star 20-8 in the second quarter to take a 29-24 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, both teams provided a mixture of offensive and defensive battles as the Hornets fought hard to tie the game at 46-all after three quarters of action.

In the final frame, the fierce rivalry heated up in a seesaw battle before the Bears managed to put together a late run in the final minute to escape with the win.

Junior guard Duane Marshall pumped in a game-high 24 points to lead West Lincoln. Ronnie Edwards provided 17 points and Keshaun London added 13 points. Javian Mackabee was the top rebounder for the Bears with six. Sam Bivens and Marshall helped on the boards with five rebounds apiece.

“We were very fortunate to get the win,” said Young. “Loyd Star came out and played with a lot of intensity, and we did not respond with the same tempo. The difference of the game was that we managed to run our offense pretty enough in the last couple of minutes to secure the win.”

The Hornets had three players in double figures, but two players gave a double-double performance as Edrick Alsworth led the charge with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Levi Redd contributed 14 points and had 11 rebounds. Brad Jasper chipped in with 13 points.

“The guys played a great game offensively and defensively,” said Britt. “A couple of turnovers late in the fourth quarter hurt us in the closing seconds. Overall, I was very pleased with the super effort my guys gave and for the fans that came to give support, which gave us that extra boost of energy we needed.”

In junior varsity action,  Loyd Star swept West Lincoln.

In the girls’ contest, the Lady Hornets defeated the Lady Bears 20-12. Mandy Russell led Loyd Star with seven points. Caylee Grace Yarborough added six points.

Anna Brooke Davis and Sarah Jane Doty paced the Lady Bears with three points apiece.

In the boys game, Loyd Star clobbered West Lincoln 52-33. Zac Arnold poured in 22 points to lead the Hornets. Javion Beard had 10 points.

Zekenith Porter was the top scorer for the Bears with 14 points. Jason Watts netted 10 points.