Graham stops Abilene Cooper in final non-district tilt

If there’s one thing the Graham Steers didn’t need going into district play, it was a losing streak. Tuesday night almost saw a worse-case scenario come true. Almost. Thanks to three players in double figures, Graham was able to fend off a stubborn Abilene Cooper squad. GHS moved to 14-4 overall with a 74-69 victory. Friday night was scheduled to be the district opener against No. 14 Wichita Falls Hirschi. District play will continue Tuesday night Jan. 17 against No. 10 Burkburnett on the road beginning at 7:30 p.m. For most of the first half, it seemed Graham was in control. After falling behind 10-4 at the 5:13 mark of the opening quarter, the Steers went on a 7-0 run to take their initial lead of the night at 11-10 with 4:01 left in the opening frame. The first quarter ended with Graham leading 24-19 over the Cougars. With the second quarter came a 29-22 advantage for the Steers. However, Abilene Cooper eventually tied the game at 37-37 with 1:20 left before halftime. The pace quickened before the break, with Graham going into halftime leading 44-41 thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Steven Kimberling. Following the interval, the fast and furious pace continued. While Graham was able to hold onto an advantage, the Cougars kept storming back. Eventually, Abilene Cooper managed to take a 56-55 lead with just under two minutes left in the third. For the rest of this story, subscribe to our print or online edition.