Colbert, Willowbrook stun Proviso East

Willowbrook center Milton Colbert is the kind of player who can take over a game. That's exactly what the senior did in Friday's West Suburban Gold boys basketball showdown at Proviso East.

Colbert dominated in the paint in the second quarter and was a monster on the boards, especially on the defensive glass. His play and that of teammates Chris Smith and Kyler Market led the way for the Warriors as they captured a huge 79-65 road win over the Pirates in Maywood.

Willowbrook coach Tim Lavorato couldn't remember the last time the Warriors beat Proviso East on its home court. Smith said someone told him before the game it had been 35 years since the last time the Warriors won in Maywood.

"That definitely gave us more motivation," Smith said.

"Proviso East is the best gym to play in," Colbert said. "It feels real great to be able to beat them on their home court."

"(This win) keeps us in the conference hunt," Lavorato added.

To hand the Pirates a home loss, Willowbrook had to withstand their uptempo game and blitzkrieg defensive pressure in a hostile environment. Boxing out on defensive rebounds was equally important as well. Colbert collected 12 rebounds.

Willowbrook (6-2, 2-1) led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and entered the locker room at halftime with a 31-21 lead thanks to 11 second-quarter points by Colbert. The 6-foot-5 post player made some strong inside moves, including a putback, and showed a nice outside touch on a jumper from the wing. He finished with a game-high 23 points.

"Milton can really take over a game," Lavorato said. "The guys did a nice job of finding him. That second quarter was key. It is important for us to be able to get the ball into the paint."

Lavorato was pleased with his team's ability to stay composed during what he called "a real choppy game." There were lots of fouls called on both sides, which often slowed down the fast pace of the game.

But when the game was running at full tilt, players like Smith and Market excelled. Smith, the point guard, slashed his way through Proviso East traps. He either found the open player or made his own sweet moves to the hoop, eliciting some "oohs" and "ahhs" from the crowd when he hit the hanging shots.

Smith finished with 18 points and Market tallied 19 points.

"(Withstanding the pressure) was one of our main points," Smith said. "We played uptempo in practice. That was very key."

Behind the play of Dee Vazquez, Jeffrey Gleen, Darwin Gage and Bruce Johnson who scored 15, 13, 13 and 11 points, respectively, the Pirates (3-4, 1-2) pulled within 10 points on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter. The Warriors countered time and again to stay ahead.

"We have a new team and are struggling with our chemistry," said Proviso East coach David Chatman. "The lack of leadership showed in all facets of our game."