By: Vincent Lombardi
SoAz Hoops Review
There are times in our lives when we are fortunate to be able to cross paths again with people that impacted our life and ultimately made us better by being around them. Zeneida Zamora (Cholla) and MiLinda Arguellez (Flowing Wells) competed many times against each other while in High School in Tucson, AZ. As fate would have it, they ended up playing club ball together in the summer of 2020.
The Pandemic of 2020 turned all of our lives upside down for months. When things started opening up again, I began putting my club team (Team RHJ) together so we could get our Girls playing again and getting our lives somewhat back to normal. Zeneida Zamora and MiLinda Arguellez were two of my players on that team which was loaded with local talent. Several of those players are still playing College Basketball.
They both headed off into different directions, but they now find themselves back together again playing for University of the Southwest in Hobbs, New Mexico. Both of them are very skilled Point Guards with very different attributes. It will be interesting to see how the new Head Coach Steven Barker will utilize the two. “When I found out that Z was teaming up with me for this year I was super excited and I know we are both going to do well. We both know how we play together and what our capabilities are.” Says Arguellez. When asked about playing with MiLinda Arguellez, Zamora said “I think playing with MiLinda again will be awesome! We have great chemistry on and off the court, and I’m excited to be her teammate again. She’s a great person to be around and she always brings tremendous energy.”
MiLinda is a high energy player that is a very skilled passer and is also a deadly Three-Point Shooter. She had an incredible career at Flowing Wells High School. She was First Team All 5A Sonoran Region all 4 Years, and Player of the Year her Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Year. She led her team to the State Championship Game in 2021, falling to perennial powerhouse Millenium. “I will say the best part of my game is facilitating the ball and creating for my teammates, which leads me to be open to score as well. So just being versatile or unpredictable because I can drive, pass, or shoot over you.”
Zeneida was also a standout in High School. She was the starting point guard as a Freshman at Cholla, and made the ALL Southern Arizona Freshman Team. She was First Team All Region her Junior year, and got beat out by Arguellez for Player of the Year Honors. Everything was set up for Cholla and Zamora to have an incredible Senior Year in 2020, but the Pandemic decimated the Program. I was the Head Coach at Cholla and we were unable to sustain a team throughout the season because of positive Covid Tests and extremely low numbers. Her High School career was over.
Zeneida Zamora turned the page and played the last two years at Whatcom Community College in Washington State. She has persevered and she has overcome many obstacles to get where she is at. I cannot tell you how proud I am of her and what she has been able to accomplish. “What I’m most proud of looking back at my career is the relationships along the way and the experiences I’ve gained over the years. I have played for some amazing people and I am grateful to still be able to continue playing the sport I love so much!” said Zamora.
Both of them can barely hold back the excitement of the upcoming season at Southwest. It seems like they both have a new sense of respect and appreciation for the game of Basketball. They both realize this chapter in their life will be over soon and they want to enjoy every moment of it. “I’m really looking forward to playing with new people and a new coach. Our goal this season is to win our Conference and make it to the National Tournament.” says Zamora. As for MiLinda Arguellez, she says “I’m looking forward to getting together with all of my teammates……..I just want to win and have fun.”
The two Tucson natives are making it. They are attacking life with a fervor the way they did basketball over the last several years. I will be covering their season this year and providing updates on how they are doing. They deserve it. They deserve to be recognized for the commitment and dedication they have made and the way they carry themselves both on the court and off the court.
