ATHENS – The Haymon-Morris Middle School girls basketball team had the chance to give up against Oconee.

But the Wildcats would not go quietly in the Quad County Middle School Girls Basketball Tournament Consolation Finals Thursday at Kings Bridge.

In the end Haymon-Morris fell 25-21, good for fourth place in the tournament.

“It was a tough loss, a lot of thing didn’t go our way and we had a lot of turnovers early,” said Cats Head Coach Amy McGee. “But we did not give up in that game. In the beginning of the season we would have.”

With three minutes remaining in the first half No. 2 seed Oconee held a 13-3 lead over No. 3 Haymon Morris.

Then Savannah Clark sank a jumper for the Cats with 2:20 left in the half, sparking a 10-0 run for Haymon Morris. The underdogs finally tied the game at 13 after guard Tamaica Morrow swiped the ball and sprinted down court for a layup midway through the third quarter.

Morrow and J’nai Owens both scored seven points for the Cats, while Brave’s forward Maria Colalancia led all scorers with eight.

The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way, but Oconee made just enough free throws to stay ahead at the buzzer.

“We had a good season,” Morrow said. “We learned a lot of new things.”

One thing is how not to give up.