Trinity Barnes' surprise start sparked the Triton College women's basketball team to a 22-4 first-quarter lead before
Jalyn Jimenez's three-point shooting fended off a Sauk Valley third-quarter surge as the Trojans breezed to an 89-44 victory Jan. 21 at the Collins Center.
The freshman guard Barnes, who tied for a game-high 18 points, was not supposed to start due to her aunt's funeral. But she arrived 30 minutes before gametime ready to play. Her presence, amassing 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, enabled the 15-5 Trojans to continue to build on a huge lead that reached 34-9 at one point in the second quarter.
"My uncle told me to play the game," Barnes said. "My family supports me with basketball, and said go play and join us afterward.
"I think coming out, everybody was energetic. Everyone was getting touches and everyone was scoring."
Interim coach
Drew Winston was prepared to play without Barnes. "I am extremely proud of Trinity," he said of her "gamer" status.
Region 4 rival Sauk Valley (5-14) trimmed into the lead going into the half and continuing into the third quarter. The Skyhawks cut the deficit to 44-32 soon after halftime and bid to get back into the game. And co-captain
Monraia Wilson was on the bench, having exited just before halftime due to foot cramping.
"I called a quick timeout," said Winston of braking the Skyhawks' momentum. "That's the problem getting a big lead early, you kind of get complacent. When we started playing the defense and taking the ball from them, the game changed."
Wilson returned to the lineup midway through the third quarter, providing another spark along with Jimenez's long-range sharpshooting. In short order, Jimenez nailed a trio of three-pointers to build the lead back up to 58-34. Wilson's jumper helped lock down the game at 62-34 after three quarters.
"Wilson's the energy," Winston said. "We roll behind her. She's the captain."
Barnes also paced the Trojans with eight rebounds and five steals. Jimenez matched her with 18 points, including four three pointers overall. She and
Queen Baker each had four steals.
Linarys Burnett-Romero had 15 points and three steals. Despite her bench time, Wilson finished with 10 points.
Top Skyhawks scorer Hailey Walters, who averages 18.6 points per game, was held to 13 on 5-for-15 shooting.
The Trojans swept the season series by big scores from the Skyhawks. Triton won 83-55 on Nov. 15 at Sauk Valley.
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)
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