BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN) — Bisbee High School's Gabby Lopez is the first player in the school's history to reach and exceed 1,000 career points. She reached the milestone in November and is creating a new record with every point.
Lopez, a senior, set the goal of reaching 1,000 points back when she was a freshman. In her first varsity season she scored 542 points. Bisbee did not play basketball in 2021, due to lingering concerns of COVID-19, dampening her spirits when it came to reaching her goal.
Little did she know how close she actually was as the start of her final season.
Lopez crossed the 1,000 career point mark and reached this historic milestone two games into the 2022-2023 season, during the Boyd Baker Tournament in Tucson. Head coach Courtney Borquez and the team surprised Lopez with a basketball and signed shirt to commemorate the moment. Lopez was also recognized at the first Pumas home game, receiving acknowledgement by her community.
“She’s the best I’ve seen come through Bisbee," Borquez said. "We’re a small school so you know you don’t ever see something like that. So for her to come and just be a force on the court to get 1000 points is really special to watch.”
Lopez is the first basketball player to reach the 1,000 mark in the schools history. She is the first basketball player in Cochise County to cross the milestone, since Buena High School's Kino Bellinger did it in 2018.
“It doesn’t seem real at all," Lopez said. "Like it doesn’t like click in my head at all that I’m the only person that reached 1,000 points.”
The senior hopes she isn't alone on that list for very long. She wants to be an inspiration for those who follow after her and know that they too can be 1,000-point scorers.
“I just hope kids just look at me and be like ‘I want to be like her'," Lopez said. "So they can like look at me and be like ‘she did it so like I can do it’.”
She added that the kids she works with, when she's not at school or practice, call her out for her stellar play — making her want to give back more to her community.
“She’s so humble," Borquez said. "I don’t think she truly realizes what she’s leaving behind and what she can do moving forward.”
Lopez is still undecided where she will be playing next year. Right now, she is considering offers from Pima College and Cochise College.
As for her legacy at Bisbee High School, Borquez said she is planning on having a banner made with Lopez's name on it and her final point total to hang in the gym. She want to make sure Lopez is remembered and recognized for all she has done for the girls' basketball program at Bisbee High School.
The No. 10 Pumas have nine more regular season games and the postseason. Lopez and Borquez agree on their next goal: Winning the state championship.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
