Jourdain Milot was kicked in the head, thrown to the floor and basically treated like a human punching bag for 31 minutes Friday.
But the bump and grind of battle could not keep the smile off Milot’s face after Warren turned in another defensive gem to defeat Lincoln 59-43 in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament at Carver Arena.
The Blue Devils (27-4) advanced to their first semifinal and will play Schaumburg at 11:15 a.m. Saturday. Warren earned its spot in the semis with a scrappy defensive performance against Lincoln (28-4) and Tribune All-State forward Brian Cook, who will play for Illinois next year.
Milot and Mike Brandow took turns on the 6-foot-10-inch Cook, who helped out by playing as if he were 5-10. Rather than use an 8-inch and 50-pound size advantage against Milot, Cook stayed on the perimeter, content to fire up long jumpers.
“I thought after Cook’s first hoop inside that they would take it inside a lot more,” said the 6-2 Milot. “But he kept stepping outside, and I think that’s what lost the game for them. That takes him away from rebounding and just basically getting a good shot.”
Cook finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. But he certainly didn’t play like the person many consider to be the best player in the state.
“They played pretty good defense,” Cook said. “They were physical and double-teamed me. I had to work for everything I got.”
Which wasn’t much. Cook’s preference to stay on the perimeter surprised Warren, though the Blue Devils certainly didn’t mind.
“From our perspective, it was to our advantage for Cook to step out,” Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. “Even if he makes 30 or 35 percent, it keeps him off the (free-throw) line and keeps us out of foul trouble.”
Cook didn’t get any help from his teammates either. The Railsplitters tied their season low in points by shooting 26.9 percent from the field with 14 turnovers.
Part of the problem was an injury to Gregg Alexander, who came in averaging 20 points a game. Alexander was slowed by a bruised tailbone and finished with three points on 1-of-11 shooting.
Lincoln’s frustration boiled over in the third quarter when Eric Reichert kicked Milot in the head when the two were on the floor. “How can you not have fun when you get kicked in the head?” Milot asked a roomful of reporters.
Milot offered a different opinion of the incident a few minutes later. “It wasn’t fun getting kicked in the head,” he said. “It was just the heat of the moment. It was two good defensive players just going after the rebound, and one thing led to another.”
Warren shot only 27.9 percent and committed 18 turnovers. But it made 29 of 35 free throws.
Reserve Rickey Higgins led Warren with 15 points. Langston Hughes added 14 points and four assists. Milot had nine points, 12 rebounds and two steals.
