West Aurora wins on Starks' buzzer-beater
PONTIAC - The entire Joliet defense figured Markus Cocroft would take the final shot.
"I got too far underneath the basket," the West Aurora senior guard said.
The Blackhawks' three-year point guard instead found freshman forward Juwan Starks on the left baseline. Starks' eight-foot jump shot with a second left found nothing but net to give West Aurora a dramatic 56-55 victory over the Steelmen at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Tuesday morning in consolation play.
The Blackhawks (6-4), in jeopardy of the once-thought unthinkable - consecutive years of two-and-out for Christmas - survived to play another day at the oldest holiday tournament in the nation. West Aurora faces Niles West (6-4) Wednesday morning with their eyes on the consolation championship at 4 p.m.
The outlook appeared bleak for the Blackhawks when Joliet junior Anthony Shoemaker scored in the paint with one minute and 17 seconds to play to give the Steelmen a 55-51 lead. But the Blackhawks' renowned defense drew a line in the sand, forcing three Joliet turnovers in the last 35 seconds to set up Starks' game-winning shot.
Malcolm Graham and Jamal Blackmond converted 3 of 4 free throws to slice the Steelmen lead to 55-54 with 29.3 seconds remaining. Graham stole the ensuing inbounds pass, but Starks' first attempt for the lead with eight seconds to play was short.
Joliet rebounded the ball and found a man wide open at the timeline. But in his haste to run out the clock the player was cited for traveling with six seconds left.
Despite his youth, Starks was the high man for the second straight day, leading all players with 15 point and 8 rebounds.
"I'm speechless," Starks said. "My man went to Markus (as Cocroft drove the paint), and he found me all alone."
The final play was orchestrated as well as possible.
"We wanted to take the ball to the basket," West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman said. "(Starks is) not afraid to take the big shot."
West Aurora stormed out of the gate, draining five first-half 3-pointers while torching the Joliet defense to the tune of a 58 percent collective effort (15-for-26). West Aurora had five double-digit leads in the first half, but Joliet systematically reduced its deficit with second-chance points as its vanguard.
"We didn't do a very good job on the defensive boards," Kerkman said.
Joliet (7-4) closed to within 36-31 at the break, and Starks' putback followed a Graham 3-pointer late in the third quarter to break back-to-back ties at 40 and 42 - the first since an 8-8 deadlock in the first.
Cocroft had his typical floor general game, scoring 11 points and handing out 6 assists while causing his backcourt counterparts havoc.
"Give Aurora West credit," Joliet coach Luke Yaklich said. "They capitalized on our mistakes. All we had to do (in the last half minute) was basically catch the ball."
Wesley Powell had 14 points to pace Joliet, and Shoemaker added 12.