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On January 16, Paisley Binswanger etched her name in the record books of Sarasota High. The 5-foot-8 senior point guard, captain of the girls varsity basketball team, surpassed 1,611 career points, breaking Sarasota High’s all-time girls basketball scoring record. Although the Sailors (14-12), lost the contest against Port Charlotte, it was a crowning achievement for one of the top female basketball players in the school’s history.

“I scored 32 points in that game, but I had no idea that I needed 15 to break the record. I’d talked with my parents before I reached 1,000 and 1,500 career points, but I didn’t know what the all-time record was,” says Binswanger, who is averaging just over 18 points per game this season. “It wasn’t until after the game, in the locker room, Coach Nuxol came over and said, ‘I have a question: how does it feel to be the leading scorer at Sarasota High?’ that I found out.”

Binswanger, however, is more than just a scorer. A Samford University signee, Binswanger has had to develop her game to best fit the situation around her. In the past couple of years, she’s worked on her ball handling and perimeter scoring to combat the frequent face-guarding and double teams that comes with the territory of being the Sailors’ number one option. Over the past summer, she worked tirelessly to improve her defense. At Samford, Binswanger is set to be more of a pure point guard, a facilitator of the offense than the main scoring option. “That’s what I enjoy doing the most,” Binswanger admits. “I’d rather have 10 assists than 10 points.”

On Friday, Sarasota will square off with Sumner High in the regional quarterfinals of the FHSAA 7A state championship tournament. Although Binswanger’s career as a Sailor will end in the next month, her name and impact will live on long after she’s graduated.

Sarasota High vs Sumner High, February 13, 7:00pm, Sumner High School, 10650 County Rd, Riverview.

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