The Loyd Star Hornets handled business Monday night against Salem, beating the Wildcats 67-43 at home. The win moves Loyd Star to 6-5 overall on the season with a trip to district foe Bassfield tonight.

The Hornets dominated the game in the first half, taking a commanding 39-17 lead going into the second half. Loyd Star continued their strong play throughout the rest of the game and never looked back.

Salem would keep pace in the second half as Loyd Star outscored the Wildcats 28-26, but the deficit was too much to overcome. The loss drops Salem to 7-8 overall on the season.

Senior point guard Zach Arnold dominated the game for the Hornets, scoring a game-high 29 points. Junior guard Cade Hodges was next in scoring for Loyd Star with 14 points and sophomore forward Dane Smith scored 10 points as well.

Seniors Leondardrick Riley and Darious Ratliff led the Salem Wildcats with 12 points each. Senior Jerrian Cowart scored nine points on the night and senior Julius Faulk chipped in eight points as well.

Lady Hornets 52, Lady Cats 27 

The Lady Hornets took care of business just like the boys did, defeating Salem 52-27. With the win, Loyd Star remains perfect at 11-0 heading into their district matchup at Bassfield tonight. The loss drops Salem to 2-12 on the season.

The Lady Hornets took command of the game from the opening tip. They led 25-2 at the end of the first quarter and 40-14 going into halftime. The large lead at halftime allowed Loyd Star to clear the bench. All 18 players on the roster recorded playing time for the Lady Hornets.

Senior forward Makenzie Smith dominated the game like she has all season for the Lady Hornets. Smith finished the game with a game-high 18 points with all of them coming in the first half. Sophomore Sarah Britt was the next leading scorer for the Lady Hornets with seven points on the night. Eleven players for Loyd Star scored in the game.

Senior Jasmyn Henderson led the Lady Cats in scoring with 15 points for the game. Junior Shatia Harness was next in line for the Lady Cats with seven points on the night.

Loyd Star will travel to Bassfield tonight with the girls tipping off at 6 p.m. The boys will follow at 7:30 p.m.