ELBA — Red Level secured its No. 4 seed in the Class 2A, Area 2 tournament with a 79-51 victory over Zion Chapel Tuesday night.

The Tigers eliminated the Rebels in a key area game to advance in the area tournament.

With this victory, Red Level improves to 17-13 overall, and will face No. 1 seed Elba Friday night at EHS in the first round.

RLS coach Allen Catrett said he felt a “little better” after one hour, and 29 minutes since tip off.

“I feel a little bit better,” Catrett said. “We didn’t play very well, though.”

Catrett was referring to the first period, where his Tigers fell behind the Rebels 14-10 at the mid-way point.

However, Red Level went on an 8-2 run late in the opening period to lead Zion Chapel 18-16.

The Tigers stepped up their pressure on both sides of the ball in the second period.

Troy Nolen — who led the Tigers with nine assists — and Preston Ryce found leading scorers James Feagin and Raheem Bullock on the inside and in position for easy buckets to help execute an 8-0, and 10-0 run.

“We were getting in position, and were getting the ball where it needs to go,” Catrett said.

Feagin led Red Level with a double-double (29 points, 14 rebounds), and Bullock had 20 points.

Red Level shot 72 percent from the field, and was 6-of-10 from the free-throw line in the first half.

Zion Chapel started out its second half on an early 4-0 run, but Red Level’s up tempo game halted any momentum for the Rebels. The Tigers led 55-32 after an 11-2 run with less than three minutes remaining in the third period.

Feagin said his team’s keys to success were simple.

“We were playing strong and hard,” he said.

Red Level was 29-of-47 from the field, and shot 2-of-7 from the three-point range.

Zion Chapel was outscored 19-5 in the third period.

Red Level’s Dee Tolbert contributed with seven points for the Tigers in the win.

The Tigers outscored the Rebels 18-15 in the fourth period. Additionally, Zion Chapel’s B. Powell made 10 of his 16 points in the final period of the contest.

W. Black also had 16 points for the Rebels.

Catrett said there are three things his team must do in order to beat Elba Friday night.

“We’ve got to stick to our game plan, play good defense and run the basketball,” he said.

Tip off in Elba Friday night is at 7:30 p.m.