24-25 Borderland Milestone Hitters Pt. II

With the 2024-25 season nearing its close, it's time to reflect on some top prospects who hit major career milestones across the major statistical categories. This article is the second in a two-part series detailing a <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/02/2024-25-borderland-milestone-hitters-pt-i/">long list of Borderland prospects who capped their 2024-25 season with some major milestones</a>.    Milestones:   1,449 Points   462 Steals   534 Field Goals Made   Hazel Veloz finished her high school career racking up wins and numbers at a high clip for the Riverside Rangers. She surpassed 1,000 career points as a junior before surpassing 400 plus steals and 500 plus field goals made this season. Her production and impact on both ends made her one of the best prospects at the 4A level and one of the better overall guards, regardless of classification or district designation. Veloz and her fellow teammates from the class of 2025 leave behind a legacy of winning and dominance at the 4A level.     Milestones:   129 Free Throws Made (Single Season)   Allison De La O's inclusion on this list is different from any other prospect. Why? Her milestone is more of an interesting marker from a superb freshman season. The Franklin guard made 129 free throws this season at a 74 percent clip. Very few prospects in the Borderland made 100-plus free throws, which highlights how far advanced this freshman prospect is from a scoring perspective. By the time she gets to her junior and senior seasons, De La O will be in line to break some of the more traditional statistical milestones like points, rebounds, steals, etc.     Milestones:   1,320 Points   215 3-Pointers Made   [player_tooltip player_id='346120' first='Emma' last='Balsiger'] is another four-year varsity player decorated with a host of team accomplishments and individual accolades. Most prominently, during her 2024-25 season, she surpassed the 1K points milestone and made 200 plus 3-pointers, the latter of which is rarer to come by given that Balsiger has been one of the premier 3-point shooters in the Borderland. Over her four years at Franklin, Balsiger gained a much-earned reputation as a lethal 3-point shooter, which will hold true as she transitions her game to the collegiate level. More importantly, Balsiger won and won big. She was part of four straight 20-plus-win teams and won a total of 95 varsity games with the Cougars.     Milestones:   1,729 Points   500 Rebounds   772 Assists   486 Steals   575 Field Goals Made   416 Free Throws Made   If you haven't picked up on the long list of career milestones, Jordan Sapien is the ultimate stat stuffer of all stat stuffers in the Borderland. The Pebble Hills point guard checks just about every box when it comes to impacting the game, and it shows in her career totals. She surpassed the 1K points milestone as a junior and could have potentially come close to the 2K milestone if she played a full senior season. Her most impressive milestone from the 2024-25 season is her 500 rebounds at the point guard position. Sapien is evidence that height does not automatically limit the ways one can impact the game. Sapien truly stands above every other Borderland prospect in this regard.     Milestones:   287 Steals   533 Rebounds   The list might not be long for Marquez, but don't be fooled; this is one of the most productive prospects in the Borderland. In two years of varsity play, she surpassed 200 plus steals and is well on her way to the 400 club. Additionally, she should surpass the 1K points milestone next season. Lastly, her 533 rebounds in two seasons is another indicator of how impactful this prospect is defensively. You could argue that Marquez is the best Borderland prospect returning to high school play next season. The numbers and the eye test prove it. Lastly, Marquez and Americas were dominant this year at the 5A level, so expect to see the Trail Blazers do something special in 2025-26.     Milestones:   284 Steals   100 3-Pointers Made   In three years of varsity play, Jaedyn Herrera has done a lot of damage for the Americas Trail Blazers. This season, she surpassed 200 plus steals and 100 3-pointers made, highlighting her end-to-end impact. Herrera is one of the better point-of-attack defenders in the Borderland and a capable 3-point shooter. Next season, she should surpass the 1K points milestone and potentially the 400 plus steals milestone. Playing on one of the most dominant programs in the Borderland, Herrera is the type of prospect who can play a game start-to-end if need be. Thus, she will have ample opportunities to break some significant milestones as a returning senior.     Milestones:   303 Steals   [player_tooltip player_id='391117' first='Jazlene' last='Ruiz'] is undoubtedly one of the best prospects in Southern New Mexico, and post-season games are still to come. So far this season, she surpassed 300 steals, which comes as no surprise given that she is one of the best defensive players in the Borderland. Additionally, she still has an outside chance at surpassing the 1K points milestone. Ruiz currently needs 65 points to hit the 1K mark, which is still feasible if Mayfield plays a minimum of two playoff games. The Trojans will be favorites in their opening-round matchup against Rosewell and the higher seed if they advance to the next round. If Mayfield makes the state semifinals, Ruiz will likely surpass 1K.

With the 2024-25 season nearing its close, it's time to reflect on some top prospects who hit major career milestones across the major statistical categories. This article is the second in a two-part series detailing a long list of Borderland prospects who capped their 2024-25 season with some major milestones.