Members of a middle school basketball team in Wisconsin are set to be honored with a citzenship award after they stepped in to support a cheerleader who was abused by rival fans. Desiree Andrews, who has Down syndrome, is an eight-grade student at Lincoln Middle School in Kenosha. She was performing her duties as a member of the Lady Knight's Cheerleading Squad at a game last year when some members of the crowd started picking on her. Desiree Andrews, who has Down syndrome, was performing her duties as a member of the Lady Knight's Cheerleading Squad at a game last year when some members of the crowd started picking on her . Lincoln Middle School basketball players, from left to right, Chase Varquez, Miles Rodriguez and Scooter Terrien overheard Desiree being abused they called a timeout in their game, walked off the court and confronted the bullies . When basketball players Miles Rodriguez, Scooter Terrien and Chase Vazquez overheard Desiree being abused they called a timeout in their game, walked off the court and confronted the bullies. 'A couple of us went over there and were like, can you guys just stop, that's not right,' Rodriguez told TMJ4. 'Our teammates supported us and they had our backs,' said Terrien. The incident sparked the begining of a beautiful friendship between Desiree and the boys. From then on Desiree – who they call affectionately Dee – got involved in the introduction of the starting lineup for the team. They would also walk her to class and the gym was renamed 'D's House' in her honor. 'We're all created the same. God made us the same way,' said Terrien. Desiree was performing her duties as a member of the Lady Knight's Cheerleading Squad at a game last year when some members of the crowd started picking on her . On Monday the team played their last game in the gymnasium before they all move on to high school. The match was dedicated to Dee and the team chanted, 'Whose house? Dee's house!' Desiree loved every minute of it. 'It was sweet, kind, awesome, amazing,' she said. Her father Cliff Andrews said the team's support for his daughter has 'been a godsend.' 'Those boys, I tried to talk to them in person, but I couldn't keep the tears back,' he told Kenosha News. The story has generated so much positive coverage for the school in the local area that Kenosha City council has announced that it will give the boys a citizenship award next week. They are also being considered for the mayor's youth award. The gymnasium at Lincoln Middle School has been renamed D's House in honor of Desiree Andrews .
Desiree Andrews was performing with the Lady Knight's Cheerleading Squad last year when members of the crowd started picking on her . Members of Lincoln Middle School basketball team overheard the abuse, called a timeout  and walked over to confront the bullies . 'A couple of us went over there and were like, can you guys just stop, that's not right,' said Miles Rodriguez . The incident sparked the begining of a beautiful friendship between Desiree and the boys who affectionately call her Dee . The school has renamed the gym 'D's House' and the team is set to be honored with a citzenship award from Kenosha City council .