The West Lincoln Bears and Lady Bears swept the Loyd Star Hornets in a tough defensive bout Thursday night in the Lincoln County Round-Robin Tournament nightcap at Loyd Star Gymnasium.

     In the girls’ game, the Lady Bears had to out scrap the young Lady Hornets to escape with a 32-29 victory.

     In boys’ action, junior center Sam Bivens pumped in a team-high double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to help West Lincoln rally from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat the Hornets 48-41.

     Tournament action continues today at Loyd Star. West Lincoln battles BC. The girls’ game starts at 4 p.m., followed by the boys.

     The host, Loyd Star, entertains Enterprise in the nightcap. Girls’ action is set to tip off at 7 p.m., followed by the boys.

W. Lincoln 32, L. Star 29

     The Lady Bears (5-5) and Lady Hornets (1-8) provided a huge defensive battle for their basketball fans. Both teams fought back and forth in the contest as West Lincoln led at halftime 12-10.

     In the second half, West Lincoln and Loyd Star continued their heavyweight bout. The Lady Bears edged the Lady Hornets 20-19.

     Senior forward Tamasha Buckley was the offensive leader for West Lincoln with 9 points. Destiny Allen and Buckley led on the boards with 6 rebounds apiece.

     “Loyd Star played a good game and did some good things offensively and defensively,” said West Lincoln coach Lane Young. “This was a good defensive battle from both teams. In the second half, we came out hustling and managed to knock down some key shots to help extend our lead for the win.”

     Sophomore center Raigan Smith paced the Lady Hornets with a game-high 10 points. Marcy Givens, Jordan Shelby and Smith were the leaders on the boards for Loyd Star with 6 rebounds apiece.

     “The girls did a good job competing,” said Loyd Star coach Billy Vaughn. “Overall, we need to do a better job of making our free throws.”

W. Lincoln 48, L. Star 41

     In the boys’ game, West Lincoln (9-1) struggled to get their offensive game started. The Bears were minus starters Jared Case, Duane Marshall and Darrius Clark for injuries and illness.

     Loyd Star (4-5) took advantage of the situation and slowed down the Bears’ fast-paced tempo and took a 21-17 lead into halftime.

     In the second half, both teams continued to battle hard. West Lincoln secured their first lead in third quarter at 30-28.

     In the fourth quarter, action picked up on both ends of the floor. West Lincoln managed to outscore the Hornets 18-13 in the final frame for the win.

     Senior forward Lucas Burris contributed 10 points to help lead the Bears. Ke-Shaun London and LeKeith Ward helped on the board with 7 rebounds apiece.

     “We knew coming in that Loyd Star was going to slow us down and keep the game close,” said Young. “The guys did a good job battling throughout the game. In the second half, we managed to take the lead late in third and continued to play aggressive in the fourth for the win. Overall, I was pleased with their effort. Our guards coming off the bench will need to play better as I know they can.”

     Loyd Star had two players to reach double-doubles. Edrick Alsworth directed the charge for the Hornets with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Senior forward Terion Williams netted 11 points and 10 rebounds.

     “I’m very proud of the guys’ effort,” said Loyd Star coach Gene (Moochie) Britt. “We hustled throughout the whole game. West Lincoln did a good job by doing the things needed to get the win. Overall, I see continued improvement of my guys in each game.”