A scrappy Murphy Bulldogs basketball team pushed visiting Gilmer to the limit last night, Thursday, Dec. 5, but ended up losing their season opener 58-52 to the Bobcats.

With nearly a dozen players coming in from the Murphy football team, which finished its season less than a week before, the Bulldogs (0-1) took Georgia’s Class 4A Gilmer (5-1) to the wire before finally falling late in the fourth quarter.

Junior Abram Abling goes up to score two of his team-high 21 points Thursday night.

Junior Abram Abling led Murphy with 21 points from the point guard position. Abling tried to single-handedly will the Bulldogs to the victory, scoring six points in the first and nine points in the fourth.

Despite taking a 30-28 lead into halftime, the Bulldogs couldn’t overcome a Bobcats defense that held them to just three points in the third quarter.

Junior Dawson Hensley hits a free thrown for one of his 18 points Thursday.

Trailing 39-33 entering the final frame, Murphy fed off the crowd and made a push to tie the game with less than five minutes to go.

But the discipline of the visiting team was too much for the Bulldogs, who couldn’t keep the Bobcats from earning the victory.

Junior Dawson Hensly scored 18 points in the loss, including scoring 11 points in the second to push the Bulldogs into the halftime lead.

Junior Isra Smith seemed destined to keep Murphy in the game late. He scored eight points on the night, all of them coming in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Jesse Kephart scored three and senior Devonate Murray added two to round out the scoring for Murphy in the loss.

After a Friday, Dec. 6, game at Nantahala, the Bulldogs visit Robbinsville at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10, before traveling to Rosman at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13. Both Robbinsville and Rosman are Big Smoky Mountain 1-A region opponents for the Bulldogs, who have a chance to take a commanding lead in the region.