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The Huntland Middle School Hornets beat the Fayetteville Tigers 48-36 at Lincoln Central Academy Thursday in a quarterfinal game for the Area 12A tournament.

The Hornets led for the entire contest and maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second half to get the victory and advance to the next round of the bracket.

The Hornets scored the first eight points of the game, but the Tigers were able to make it a one-possession game by the end of the opening period.

Huntland led 9-6 after one quarter.

An 11-3 run by the Hornets late in the second quarter brought their lead up to double digits as they began to take control of the game.

They led 26-15 at halftime.

The Hornets’ lead peaked at 23 points late in the third quarter before the Tigers chipped away some of the deficit with a run of six straight points.

Huntland led 41-24 going into the final period.

The Tigers made up some ground in the final minutes of the contest after the Hornets rotated their starters out of the game, but the lead remained at double digits until the final buzzer as Huntland won by 12.

Ellis Stewart led the Hornets with 14 points for the game, followed by Bryant Mooney with 13 points and Luke Yarbrough with 12.

Micah Tipps scored six points and Julius Miller scored three.

With the win, the Hornets improved to 20-1 on the season.

They will next play Monday against South Lincoln Middle School or Flintville Middle School at LCA in a semifinal game for the Area 12A tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.