Girls basketball: Sidney Cooks comes through in All-American game
CHICAGO - Sidney Cooks couldn’t afford to miss, and not just for the obvious reason.
The senior forward from Kenosha St. Joseph went to the free throw line with 31.4 seconds left in regulation of the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday at the United Center with her team down by two points.
“I always say basketball is a mental game, so free throws have always been big for me,” she said. “It’s my pet peeve. I always say guys can’t make free throws. Like in the NBA, I can’t stand watching it because of that.”
Now it was time for the Michigan State recruit to produce in front of some of the nation’s top players and a nationally-televised audience, and she didn’t disappoint. Cook hit the two free throws to tie the game, part of four straight points she scored in the final minute of regulation to force overtime for the West.
The West went on to lose to the East, 80-74, but Cooks had a productive outing. She finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. She hit her only three-point attempt, blocked two shots and had one steal, one rebound and one assist.
Cooks’ final-minute heroics followed a long spell on the bench. She didn’t play in the fourth quarter until 1 minute remained, though she played all of the three-minute overtime.
Prior to that, the touches were hard to come by.
RELATED: Michael Porter Jr. wins MVP in McDonald’s All American Game victory
“It’s always harder for us post players because we’re running block to block, we’re boxing out and we’re trying to grab the rebound and set screens,” she said. “So once our guards starting realizing that and we got the communication better that’s when it became easier for me.”
Louisville recruit Loretta Kakala had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting for the West. Texas recruit Rellah Boothe claimed the game’s most valuable player award after leading the East with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Cooks didn’t get any touches in the first quarter, but in the second quarter she beat the defense down the floor for an easy basket and, after a steal, stepped back to splash a three-pointer.
That was the extent of her scoring until the final minute of the fourth quarter. The West, which led by as many as 13 points, was down, 69-65, when Cooks worked free on an inbounds play and hit a short jumper to pull her team within two with 31.4 seconds left.
“While sitting on the bench, you get cold and when you go in you’ve got to have that mentality of get ready,” Cooks said. “Just be ready to shoot and I’ve been working on my shooting a lot, just making sure I have the right form and getting it up in the air.”
This was not, however, the end of Cooks’ all-star game experience. Cooks will play in the Jordan Brand Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 14.
“It was a great experience,” Cooks said. “And to anybody in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha or Wisconsin, period, just keep working hard. … Have patience and everything will come to you.”
Journal Sentinel High School Sports Awards
Ready for the biggest night in high school sports? The inaugural Milwaukee Journal Sentinel High School Sports Awards will be held at 8 p.m. May 17 at the Pabst Theater.
The red-carpet event will not only celebrate the area’s top performers but also honor athletes whose ability to overcome life’s hurdles show a value of high school sports beyond wins and losses.
And Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson will be the guest speaker.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at pabsttheater.org/show/sportsawards2017. For more information about the show, go to sportsawards.jsonline.com.