If ever there was a moral victory, the Forest Hills girls' basketball team earned one Tuesday morning in its Western Class D quarterfinal against Richmond.

The odds seemed insurmountable against the fifth-seeded Tigers when they fell behind by eight points in the fourth quarter. The deficit was just part of their problem; the Tigers, who carry just seven players, were down to four after three fouled out.

Somehow, some way, Forest Hills fought its way back. The Tigers scored eight straight points to tie the game and almost force overtime, only to lose 56-53 on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Richmond's Megan DeRaps.

The situation was nothing new for the Tigers, who thrived all season despite their lack of depth. In fact, Tuesday's game was eerily reminiscent of their regular-season game against Richmond – a 56-47 loss.

“Last time (against Richmond) we ended up with three (players),” Forest Hills junior Elise Begin said. “So it’s kind of normal with four.”

Such is life for a girls' basketball team at a school with only 28 female students. Fielding a competitive team from such a small pool of candidates is no easy task, but Forest Hills has done it before. Back in 1997, the Tigers won a state championship with only seven players.

This season the Tigers were talented enough and scrappy enough to go 12-5 during the regular season. This despite the fact that one of their players, eighth-grader Kayla Achey, didn't travel to road games because she also played for the middle school team.

Jasmine Worster has been playing with a hairline wrist fracture, and Crystal Allen was hindered by an ankle injury.

"Our girls will never quit, no matter how many girls I have on the court," Coach Mike LeBlanc said after his team's first loss to Richmond.

The Tigers proved that again Tuesday, and proved they're winners regardless of the final score.