DANBURY — Almost everything has been going right for the Abbott Tech girls’ basketball team, but among the many highlights, the season finale will likely go down as one of the most memorable.
On the team’s Senior Day game against Wolcott Tech Tuesday night, and the last regular season game of her career, senior point guard Iyana Barnes scored her 1,000th career point in front of her family and a packed crowd.
“Every game has been another milestone for us,” Abbott Tech coach Chris Pace said. “For Iyana especially to have this moment in front of a packed house like this, nobody deserves it more than her. She has been a leader for us on and off the court. It was just a great night for the players, school, families and everybody.”
Iyana Barnes of Abbott Tech scores her 1,000th career point in the first quarter of the final regular season game of her career #ctgb pic.twitter.com/CPPl0YSysE
— Will Aldam (@AldamWill) February 18, 2020
Barnes finished the game with 30 points, wasting no time collecting the five she needed to reach the milestone in the first quarter.
The Wolverines (19-1) defeated Wolcott Tech 45-33 behind the strong play of Barnes and senior Emily Sierra, who contributed eight points to the winning effort.
Coming off a 10-10 record a season ago, Pace has made an immediate impact in his first season as head coach, leading the senior heavy team to a CTC tournament berth as well as the No. 1 seed in the Class M State Tournament.
“This is just a hard-working group,” Pace said. “We set the expectations high at the beginning of the season and their efforts, dedication and their commitment has matched those expectations. I couldn’t be prouder and this couldn’t have happened to a better group of girls. I’m at a loss for words with how proud I am firstly as a coach, and more importantly for each of them. We have seven seniors and they all contributed in their own ways. That’s what has lead us to our success this year.”
Abbott Tech will enter the conference tournament as the favorite and will look to capture its first CTC championship since 2002.
“We are going to take it one day at a time,” Pace said. “It is a great accomplishment to be the No. 1 seed, they earned it. They took care of everything that was put in front of them but we have to throw out seeding. Anybody can beat anybody on any given night so we are determined to continue to make a run and compete with anybody.”
The Wolverines suffered its only loss of the year to Bullard-Havens Tech (14-5) in January, but since has compiled a 12-game win streak including taking the second meeting against Bullard-Havens.
ABBOTT TECH 45, WOLCOTT TECH 33
WOLCOTT TECH (33)
Teja Peterson 2 2-2 6 Yennifer Sarmiento 0 3-4 3 Sierra Doyle 2 0-0 4 Kylee Bryant 1 1-2 3 Rachel Heaney 1 1-4 3 Abigail Williams 7 0-0 14 Totals: 13 7-12 33
ABBOTT TECH (45)
Emily Sierra 4 0-0 8 Marcia Mitchell 1 0-2 2 Tavahnnarie Sok 1 0-0 3 Estefany Castaneda 1 0-2 2 Iyana Barnes 12 6-12 30 Totals: 19 6-16 45
WOLCOTT TECH 4 12 9 8 — 33
ABBOTT TECH 9 9 15 12 — 45
3-pointers: WT—none; AT—Sak.
will.aldam@hearstmediact.com
