Girls basketball, Riley Cwinski, ACC defeat West Aurora

Aurora Central Catholic's Riley Cwinski (23) drives around West Aurora's Syncere Williams (4) during a game in the WarHawk Tournament in Aurora on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (Mark Black/The Beacon-News)

Most of the time, Aurora Central Catholic’s Riley Cwinski gives up size to her opponents.

But that’s not how the 5-foot-9 junior guard sees things at all. Her game is getting to the basket, and she remains determined to get there, no matter who might be guarding her.

“I’m really not scared of other people’s heights,” Cwinski said. “It helps other people, but for me, I’m just going to go. I’m just going to close my eyes and go.”

Cwinski continued to open some eyes Monday night.

She scored nine straight points in the first quarter against a much larger team in host West Aurora, setting the tone for the Chargers in a 49-48 victory in the WarHawk Tournament.

That kept ACC (5-0) in or around the lead all game.

Cwinski led all scorers with 22 points, including three key free throws in the final minute. Sofia Corral added 11 points and hit the clinching free throw with 12 seconds left. Grace Grunloh added 10 points.

Niallie Evans paced West Aurora (0-2) with 10 points. Serenity Evans and Brooklynn Johnson each scored nine. Syncere Williams grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench.

Aurora Central Catholic's Riley Cwinski (23) scores against West Aurora during a game in the WarHawk Tournament in Aurora on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (Mark Black/The Beacon-News)

Cwinski scored 17 of her points in the first half. She also made four trips to the free-throw line with her physical brand of play, converting 7 of 8.

The fact she was going up against taller, athletic defenders didn’t deter her whatsoever.

“It gives me a lot of confidence,” Cwinski said. “It makes me feel tall. I know I’m not as tall as the other girls out there, but that makes me feel tall and happy.”

The Chargers faced mostly Class 1A and 2A teams last week in winning a tournament at Plano. This week will be a step up in play, but ACC coach LeVada Smith wasn’t surprised that Cwinski thrived in the first round.

“She does an excellent job,” Smith said. “If there’s a turnover or rebound, you have to find her. You better find her right away. What stopped her from scoring even more was that she got into foul trouble.

“There were times you could tell they couldn’t hang with her.”

West Aurora's Brooklynn Johnson (12) drives into Aurora Central Catholic's Grace Grunloh (5) during a game in the WarHawk Tournament in Aurora on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (Mark Black/The Beacon-News)

Both Cwinski and Corral picked up their fourth foul early in the fourth quarter. They sat for close to four minutes, with ACC’s four-point lead only turning into a brief 46-45 lead for the Blackhawks on Serenity Evans’ layup.

“Our girls held on,” Smith said. “We have three sophomores and a freshman. To see them maintain, they might not know it, but down the road it will be, ‘OK, I’ve been in this situation.’”

Cwinski was happy with the way the whole team responded to adversity.

“We pulled it out,” Cwinski said. “It was amazing. There are things to work on, but I’m happy with the win.”

The Beacon-News

Twice-weekly

News updates from the Aurora area delivered every Monday and Wednesday

West Aurora stayed in the game thanks to its defense. The Blackhawks allowed only 20 points in the second half, but ACC still grinded out the win.

Aurora Central's Sofia Corral (33) and West Aurora's Syncere Williams (4) struggle for control of the ball during a game in the WarHawk Tournament in Aurora on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. (Mark Black/The Beacon-News)

“Credit to West Aurora,” Smith said. “They stepped their game up on defense in the second half. We had less and less opportunities. I was a little worried there for a minute because they took the lead by one.

“I didn’t call a timeout. It’s early in the season. Figure it out.”

The Chargers were young last season as well but had a breakout season, winning a regional title. That set expectations high for this season, and through five games, they haven’t disappointed.

That has Cwinski and her teammates anticipating what’s to come this winter.

“We’re super excited,” Cwinski said. “It’s going to be a great season. This is just the beginning for us.”