Playing shorthanded after seeing its Tuesday game against Lubbock Coronado postponed due to illness, the Cooper boys basketball team put forth a gutsy effort Friday against crosstown rival Wylie, answering every challenge from the visiting Bulldogs on its way to a 54-41 win at Cougar Gym.

The Cougars, who practiced with just five players all week, had just six rotation players Friday. But they did enough without starting point guard Andrew Gonzalez to snap Wylie’s six-game winning streak and extend their own to five games.

Coach Bryan Conover’s squad, which improved to 15-7 overall and 2-0 in District 4-5A with the victory, saw a 30-19 halftime lead trimmed to four twice in the second half — once in the third quarter and again in the fourth. But the Coogs finished each of the final two periods on sizeable runs to put away the upset-minded Bulldogs.