Daisy Cornidez picked up her 1,000th point at the free throw line. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)

 

1,000 career points is a big number. It’s a big number usually associated with big names from big programs, the ones used to constant media coverage. But why not Daisy?

Meet Daisy Cornidez, senior from Sunnyside. She’s played in 84 games so far with most of them being difficult losses. Still, Daisy keeps coming. About a dozen girls from Southern Arizona have been added to the 1,000-point club in the last three years and they all deserved more recognition than I could ever give, but I’m having difficulty thinking of one who accomplished the task in relative anonymity, 12 points at a time.

Cornidez picked up her 1,000th career point Friday night in a 48-27 win at Desert View but she entered the gym needing just seven. The last seven seemed to be the most difficult in her career thanks mostly to the balloons, banners and cameras.

“I was so, so nervous when the game started,” Cornidez said. “I couldn’t shoot.”

She had four points at the break and her milestone came at the free throw line in the third quarter. It would have been more dramatic had she sank a 3-pointer but the bucket from the foul line seemed very appropriate because that’s where the reward for hard work usually comes and Cornidez is a hard worker.

Sunnyside senior Daisy Cornidez gets her 1,000th career point! #AZPreps365 pic.twitter.com/5Ywr4E8Qd6

— Andy Morales (@AZPreps365Andy) January 27, 2018

Her benched cleared and the crowd erupted. The referee handed her the game ball and she was recognized by the public address announcer even though it was an away game. And there were hugs.

“This means the world to me,” Cornidez added. “I hope I made people proud. I thank my coaches and my dad who has been with me from day one. My teammates helped me through this journey.”

Cornidez finished with 14 points, her teammate Gisselle Gonzales scored a game-high 16 points and Beatriz Hernandez scored six.

Hernandez is a senior guard and her sister, Gloria, is a sophomore guard at Desert View.

Beatriz came to Sunnyside to play basketball and Gloria decided to attend Desert View so she could run track. They both compete in cross country so it has turned into a year round competition.

“We really don’t talk to each other on the court,” Beatriz said. “But we are here for each other.”

The Blue Devils are 3-13 in games that count and 0-3 in the 6A Southern Region and the Jaguars are 3-11 and 0-5 in the 5A Sonoran Region.

Sisters Beatriz & Gloria Hernandez. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365.com)