Trinity Barnes becomes women's basketball all-time leading scorer

Triton College women's basketball standout Trinity Barnes in her mind may have envisioned a game-winning shot or one of her customary weaving thru the lane layups to break the programs' all-time scoring record Feb. 21 at Wright College.

However, Barnes' historic chase came down to a simple free throw.

The game was never in doubt as the Trojans cruised to a 65-39 win to improve to 21-7 this season.

On Triton's first possession of the fourth quarter and needing one point to break the record, Barnes drove right of the lane and was fouled in the act of shooting. With the clock stopped at 9:40 remaining, she calmly hit the first free throw and a massive cheer took over the Wright gymnasium knowing history had been made.

She would bury the second free throw and Trojans head coach Drew Winston immediately called a timeout as Barnes was mobbed by her teammates on the court in jubilation.

"This has all been surreal," Barnes said. "I was mad that I broke the record on a free throw. I knew I only needed 16 points (to break the record) and that was not that many points to get. It felt great to have all the support from my family and my teammates."

The sophomore from Gary, Ind., surpassed a mark that stood for 43 years. Micki McEvoy held the previous career record, scoring 1,033 points from 1979-81. Barnes scored 21 points in the victory and is at 1,039 points and counting. She is currently ranked 4th among Division I programs in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game.

Triton has one game left in the regular season and then playoffs.

Winston felt a sense of relief after Barnes broke the record.

"I'm so proud of Trinity and there were no doubts in my mind that she would accomplish this," he said. "The future for her is bright."

Barnes recruiting stock has risen as many four-year coaches have been calling, including NCAA Division I coaches in attendance at each of her last two games. She is on pace to graduate in May with an Associate in Arts with an emphasis in Psychology.

Despite the milestone, Barnes next goal is to lead Triton deep into the playoffs.

"I want to win the regional championship," she said. "I want to do whatever I can to help get us to the national tournament and win the championship."

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