What she did: The senior wing and four-year starter was one of the most prolific scorers in the state, averaging 26.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting. Cortez also averaged 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocks per game as she paced Tucson High to the Division II, Section IV championship, helping it earn the No. 4 seed in the state tournament. Following a first-round bye, the Badgers fell victim to a 65-60 upset against 13th-seeded Sahuaro, despite a game-high 21 points from Cortez. It put an unexpected end to a promising season and a storied career that saw Cortez score 2,479 points, putting her fifth among Arizona’s all-time scoring leaders.
Top performance: Cortez surpassed 40 points in four games and scored at least 30 in seven others but one of her biggest games came when she scored just 12 points. Cortez showed off her versatility with a team-high eight rebounds and six blocks as Tucson topped Ironwood Ridge 52-50 in the championship game of the Division II, Section IV tournament.
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What’s next: Cortez signed to play for East Carolina University, where she hopes to make an immediate impact. The Pirates posted a 13-19 record in 2015-16 and graduate their top two scorers.
Runner-up: Lexy Ram, Ironwood Ridge. The 5-foot-11-inch senior wing averaged 15.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game and helped the Nighthawks reach the second round of the Division II state playoffs. Ram, who is signed with Cal Baptist, scored at least 20 points in eight games; she finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 60-42 early-season win against Phoenix South Mountain, the eventual Division III state champion.
