Brown delivers at Highland

Guard Aliana Brown's best collegiate night combined with stingy team defense led the Triton College women's basketball team to a huge 86-48 road win against Region 4 rival Highland Community College Nov. 14 in Freeport.

The freshman from Kenosha, WI steadily amassed a game-high total of 29 points. Brown and her teammates worked hard to achieve team goals of less than 50 points yielded, making the postgame meal ever more tasty. Points were hard to come by for the host Cougars, who had shown signs of life in the second quarter, cutting the Trojans' big early lead to just eight at halftime.

But Triton (3-2) squeezed Highland (2-4) after intermission, allowing just 19 second-half points. Brown was supplemented by veteran Trinity Barnes with 20 points. Center Jordyn Coleman fought off foul trouble to score 14 and pull down 12 rebounds, teaming with fellow "big" Lauryn Hunt (8 points, 9 rebounds) to clog the middle for the frustrated Cougars.

"It's all good (allowing just) 48 points," said Brown. "It's the best we played together as a team (this season). Defensively we were locked in, and got turnovers."

Trojans coach Drew Winston, a "defense first" guy, was obviously thrilled with the stingy yield to the Cougars. However, he wanted to see production out of a backcourt that has had some issues coming out of the gate this season playing various lineup due to injuries. Winston could not do any better than the 50 combined points he got from roommates Brown and Barnes.

"I just felt like I had to pick it up a bit," said Brown. "I felt like today was a redemption game for me. Trinity and I give each other tips. She was good working off the ball."

The 5-foot-5 Brown's previous high was 16 points in the season opener against Wabash Valley. She got off to a good start against Highland as she, Barnes and Coleman all had 10 points in the first half. But Brown upped her game in the second half as the Trojans stretched their lead.

Winston said Brown could build off her best night.

"She's been a little down in the dumps, not playing her best ball," he said. "To play this kind of game is very promising. I'm so proud."

Brown more than held her own on defense with six steals. Barnes added six rebounds and five assists. Jada Knighton, who had just two points, added to the defensive effort with 11 rebounds, four steals and four blocks to go along with five assists. Hammond, Ind.'s Mariah Robinson had seven points around time lost when shaken up in the second half landing on her tailbone.

Triton will continue to play road warriors with four more games away from River Grove through November. The Trojans finally come home against Danville at the Collins Center December 2.

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)