Coming off a wild 55-51 overtime win over Wichita Falls Memorial in their District 4-5A opener on Friday, the Abilene High Lady Eagles were given just a few days to recharge their emotional batteries before Tuesday’s Crosstown Showdown with rival Cooper.

But coach Alfonzo Franklin’s squad proved up to the task, riding a 15-5 first-quarter run to a 52-44 win at Cougar Gym to stay in lockstep with Wylie atop the league standings.

Samia Cooper led Abilene High with 13 points, while four other Lady Eagles had at least seven in a balanced scoring effort. Those contributions allowed AHS to stretch its lead to 18 early in the third quarter and a game-high 20 points early in the fourth, before Cooper made a late surge in the closing minutes.