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The Huntland Middle School Hornets beat the South Lincoln Eagles 40-34 at Lincoln Central Academy Monday in a semifinal game for the Area 12A tournament.

The Hornets outscored their opponent in each of the first three quarters and held off an attempted rally in the final period to advance to the area championship game and clinch a berth to the upcoming Section 3A tournament.

The Hornets scored eight straight points to end the opening period as they were able to create a decent early advantage. Micah Tipps scored 10 of Huntland’s 13 points in the first quarter.

They led 13-4 after one quarter.

The Hornets had another run of eight unanswered points to close out the second quarter as they brought their early lead up to double digits.

They led 25-12 at halftime.

The Hornets maintained a steady lead throughout the third quarter and ultimately added another point to their advantage by the end of the period.

They led 34-20 going into the fourth quarter.

With a sizable lead at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hornets transitioned to a stalling offense as they tried to dribble away as much time as possible while taking minimal shots.

However, the Eagles created a few turnovers that turned into points to chip away at the lead, and they cut the deficit down to just four points at 38-34 on a 3-pointer with about 25 seconds remaining.

The Eagles forced another turnover seconds later, but a South Lincoln player was called for traveling during the ensuing fast break to give the ball back to Huntland with 11.7 seconds left.

Tipps drew a foul on the next Huntland possession and sank both of his free-throw attempts to bring the lead back up to six points with 9.3 seconds on the clock.

A desperate half-court shot by the Eagles went out of bounds to give the ball back to Huntland, and the Hornets held the ball for the last few seconds to finish off the six-point win. Luke Yarbrough scored four of Huntland’s six points in the fourth quarter.

Tipps led the Hornets with 15 points for the game, followed by Yarbrough with 12 points and Ellis Stewart with 10.

Julius Miller scored two points and Bryant Mooney scored one.

With the win, the Hornets improved to 21-1 on the season.

They will next play Thursday against Eagleville Middle School at Lincoln County High School in the Area 12A championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.