TUCSON, Arizona — Pueblo High School senior America Cazares etched her name into Arizona high school girls basketball history on Saturday night, breaking the all-time career scoring record during a dramatic Class 5A state quarterfinal playoff game at Fat Lever Gym.
The milestone came on a foul shot in the contest against No. 8 North High School, surpassing the longstanding mark of 2,913 points set by Catalina Foothills' Julie Brase in 1998—a record that had stood for nearly three decades. Cazares finished the night with 39 points, but the celebration was bittersweet as Pueblo fell in a heartbreaker, 63-62, when teammate Bryza Rodriguez missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.
The game took a tragic turn in the fourth quarter when Cazares suffered a serious knee injury. She went down in visible pain and had to be carried off the court, cutting short what had been an electric performance in front of a raucous home crowd.
Pueblo head coach Izzy Galindo praised Cazares' skill and poise, saying, "She's always been smooth with the ball and has a nice stroke and knows how to put the ball in the basket."
Cazares reflected on the moment afterward, calling it "really cool because there was a crowd and I like a loud gym." However, she added with disappointment, "But it's not how I wanted it to end. I wanted to win a state championship and that's what I really cared about. I broke the record so that's good."
The Warriors' season ends with the loss, but Cazares' achievement cements her as one of the greatest scorers in Arizona prep history. The injury's severity remains unclear, but her record-breaking feat will be remembered as a highlight of an extraordinary career.
