WESSON – The Loyd Star Lady Hornets and the Wesson Cobras kicked off the new year with a win Tuesday night at the Snake Pit.

In the girls’ contest, the Lady Hornets defeated the Lady Cobras 54-23.

In boys’ action, the Cobras rallied back in the fourth to clinch a 75-61 victory.

Wesson will resume action Friday as the Cobras and Lady Cobras begin division action at home against Jefferson County. Junior varsity action begins at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity games at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Loyd Star will also be in action Friday as it hosts the West Lincoln Bears to start Region 7-2A action. Junior varsity action will tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity games at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Lady Hornets 54, Lady Cobras 23 

The Lady Hornets came out strong and dominated the Lady Cobras early to claim a 32-11 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Loyd Star outscored Wesson 20-12 to secure the win.

“The girls played really well in their first game back after the holidays,” said Loyd Star coach Gene Britt. “Our offense was good and our press was aggressive. I was very pleased with their effort and glad to give everyone on the team some playing time.”

For the Lady Hornets, MaKenzie Smith was a powerhouse with 19 points. She also had 10 rebounds, one block and four steals. Toni Banks was hot from three-point arc with two shots to finish with nine points, three assists, four steals and two rebounds. Hannah Dickerson contributed eight points, eight rebounds and had two blocked shots. Lydia Britt provided six points. Jordan Shelby and Faith Bergeron scored four points each. Mandy Russell and Lauren Smith had two points apiece.

For the Lady Cobras, Jashia Smith was the top scorer with nine points and six rebounds. Alaysha Vaughn followed closely behind with seven points and three rebounds. Alaysha Mims provided five points and Carnesha Green had two points.

“We are struggling right now and we can’t seem to score a basket,” said Wesson coach Rusty Newman. “Loyd Star has a good team and we had trouble with their inside game. I hope we can work our kinks out before district play starts.”

Wesson 75, Loyd Star 61

The Wesson Cobras rallied back in the fourth quarter with a 25-10 run to upset the Loyd Star Hornets Tuesday night.

The Hornets took command of the first half as they carried a 31-26 lead into halftime.

Loyd Star managed to maintain a slim 51-47 lead at the end of the third quarter.

In the final period, the Cobras battled back to take the lead when junior forward Eric Rhymes hits a three-pointer with 7:13 left on the clock. The Cobras continued that momentum through the rest of the period and outscored the Hornets 25-10 to capture the win.

“Loyd Star brought a lot of intensity early on and we didn’t match it,” said Newman. “We also struggled offensively early on. Finally in the fourth quarter, we got the ball moving and got into our offense. Once our shots started falling we picked up our defense.”

Rhymes led the Cobras with a game-high, double-double performance of 36 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Jones chipped in with 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Will Hulon and Brian Thomas provided six points apiece. Jermaine James netted five points. Randy Hooker scored two points and Shemar Dickerson had one point.

For the Hornets, Javion Beard was the top scorer with a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals. Levi Redd contributed 17 points and had eight rebounds. Patrick Price and Zach Arnold scored nine points apiece. Cade Hodges, Avery Leggett and Greg Hooks had two points each.

“The boys played really hard and we outplayed the Cobras for three quarters but it takes four quarters of play to win games,” said Britt. “Overall, I was proud of their effort and we played a lot better than what the score reflected.”

In junior high action, Loyd Star and Wesson secured a split.

In the girls’ contest, the Lady Hornets stung the Lady Cobras 41-22. Taylor Smith led the Lady Hornets with 14 points. Whitney Watts netted 12 points. Carly Beth Wallace scored six points. Ta’Mara Townsend and Kelsie Foster finished with three points each. Malori Cade had two points.

La’Tavia Jackson paced the Lady Cobras with 11 points. Shelbi Maxwell provide seven points. Natania Lopez and Catherine Wilson scored two points each.

In the boys’ game, the Cobras thumped the Hornets 52-34. Kenner Bizot and Darrian Gibson powered the Cobras with 15 points each. Antrelle Sims contributed 10 points.

Stephen Mills directed the Hornets’ offense with 10 points. Roberto Galindo finished with nine points. Tanner Watts scored seven points. Thomas Kelly had five points and Reese Dehart added three points.