Bartlett’s Joey Cwik didn’t have the best start to his birthday Friday. Coming off a sick day Thursday, the junior guard still wasn’t feeling great. He also knew that he wouldn’t start the game against West Aurora because he had missed practice for the Hawks. The way his birthday ended, howe ver, made everything all right. “Great birthday present for me, yeah,” Cwik said. “What a feeling, at home, at the Nest, I love it. “The feeling — there’s nothing like it. I’m going to watch this clip over and over again.” That’s because Cwik sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter, lifting host Bartlett to a 60-58 Upstate Eight Conference victory over the struggling Blackhawks. The shot was set up by a steal from Quint’ion Wright, who started in place of Cwik and found Cwik in the corner. A free throw by Brandon Johnson sealed the win for the Hawks (1-4, 1-0). Bartlett's Joey Cwik (2) and West Aurora's Amon Greene (21) battle for a rebound in the first quarter of an Upstate Eight Conference game in Bartlett on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) Cwik scored all 14 of his points in the second half as he regained his footing by coming off the bench. Brandon Pelz led all scorers with 19 points for Bartlett, while Johnson followed with 15. West Aurora (0-5, 0-1) was led by 14 points and 10 rebounds from Amon Greene. Orlando Edwards also scored 14 points as the Blackhawks played without leading scorer Travis Brown. Cwik pointed out it had been a long time since he made a shot like that. “Last time I hit a shot like that was freshman year against Marian Catholic,” Cwik said. “This is why you play basketball.” Bartlett's Joey Cwik (2) puts up a shot past West Aurora's Amon Greene (21) in the second quarter of an Upstate Eight Conference game in Bartlett on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) It took Cwik a bit to get going Friday night, though. He was held scoreless in the first half. “He was out of the flow,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said of Cwik. “He’s been fighting something the last couple of weeks, so you could see him take some time to try to get back to himself. “Second half, he found his rhythm.” With Cwik scoreless, it opened up an opportunity for Pelz, who scored 10 points in the first quarter. Bartlett's Brandon Pelz (30) drives past West Aurora's Amon Greene (21) in the third quarter of an Upstate Eight Conference game in Bartlett on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) “We had that same thing in the first game against Batavia,” Pelz said. “Joey went out early with fouls and I put up 10 in that quarter and that kind of kept us in the game.” Cwik scored seven points in a 10-0 run in the third quarter to give the Hawks a 37-32 lead. “I started feeling it more in the second half,” he said. “I had seven in a row and was like, ‘Let’s go.'” Cwik converted three huge baskets down the stretch. His layup forced a 54-54 tie. His jumper from the top of the key tied it at 56-56 before Greene gave West Aurora a 58-56 lead with 1:30 left. Then came the heroics of Cwik, who is off to a big start with an eye toward his collegiate future. He was named to the all-tournament team at Batavia, averaging 17 points. He started as a freshman and had some up-and-down moments last season. But now, he’s found his footing. Bartlett's Joey Cwik (2) celebrates with his teammates after beating West Aurora in an Upstate Eight Conference game in Bartlett on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) “I was trying to figure out my role as a leader,” Cwik said. “At the college level, I’ll be more of a point guard, so I’ve been trying to learn my role as a scorer and a leader. “The scoring comes and goes. I love to score. But I’m trying to learn how to score more like I will at the college level.” Pelz, who sat out last season to concentrate on baseball for Bartlett, has been impressed by Cwik’s development. “He stepped it up last year,” Pelz said. “This year, with the track he’s one, there’s a huge step coming.” Wolfsmith confirmed that he works with Cwik on the things he needs to do at the next level in practice and also has a message for him. “We try to preach to guys like him, ‘You need to be thinking that everybody else gets the ball, but I’m the finisher,'” Wolfsmith said. Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. ...read more read less