W. Aurora 56, Wheaton Warrenville South 51 (2 OT)

Listed at 5-foot-8, West Aurora guard Markus Cocroft was the smallest player on the court at Tuesday's Class 4A Willowbrook regional semifinal.

But, boy, did the speedy Blackhawks boys basketball player come up big against 14th-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South (16-12). First Cocroft hit a running jumper at the buzzer of regulation to save West Aurora's game and season and send the contest into overtime tied at 43-all. He added a key basket in the first OT session and then nailed one of the biggest shots of the night -- on a night with many big shots -- when his 3-pointer off a Tyler Thompson free-throw miss put the Blackhawks ahead 54-51 with 2:25 left in the second extra session.

With Cocroft's late heroics leading the way, No. 3-seeded West Aurora (18-7) prevailed 56-51 against an inspired Tigers team that never trailed in regulation.

"Coach told me to push the ball up court and shoot as fast as I could," said Cocroft, who scored 9 of his 11 points starting with that final play of regulation. "I knew it was going to go in."

Fans could have paid their way into the Willowbrook gym late in the fourth quarter and still gotten more than their money's worth of action and dramatics. With Wheaton Warrenville South senior Kendrick Perry playing the game of his life, the Tigers came oh-so-close to eliminating a team that had beaten them twice during this season's DuPage Valley Conference play.

Perry finished with game highs of 26 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocked shots while helping the underdogs lead 16-12 after one quarter and 22-16 at the half. The Blackhawks drew even at 30-all after three quarters, but the Tigers seemed in position to win in regulation before a wild finish set the stage for Cocroft's equalizer.

After two Perry free throws gave WW South a 41-39 lead with 2:04 left in the fourth, Cocroft missed a shot and Perry promptly pulled in the rebound. But moments later Thompson swiped a Tigers pass and converted it into a slam dunk that tied the game.

That was followed by Sam Carlson's clutch driving basket that rolled around and in to give the Tigers a 43-41 lead with just four seconds left. But Cocroft sprinted up the court, threw up a one-hander and tied the game just before the final horn sounded in regulation.

"Only one team is going to win a state championship." Tigers coach Mike Healy said. "You just hope your kids leave everything out there. Our kids could not have left more out there than they did tonight."

Even after West Aurora built a 51-45 lead in the first OT, the Tigers fought back behind 3s from Perry and Stephen Mueller.

"It was a great high school basketball game and West Aurora should be proud to win," Healy said. "Kendrick was unbelievable. He was the best player out there."

"It was a heck of a game," added West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman. "You have to give credit to both teams. Neither team quit."

And in regards to Perry, Kerkman said: "I've seen him play a lot and I've never seem him play like that. He had some kind of game."

But so did Cocroft, especially late.