Confusion arises over Minnesota girls' basketball career scoring records
The Minnesota State High School League recognized the last two AP Players of the Year for setting the state career scoring record, which would make sense if New Richland (Minn.) NRHEG High senior Carlie Wagner had broken former Braham (Minn.) standout Rebekah Dahlman's record of 5,060 points. Except she didn't.
The University of Minnesota-bound Wagner capped a remarkable prep career by leading the Panthers to a 31-0 season and a second straight Class 2A state title. She captured Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press, and the announcement credited her with a state-record 3,957 career points.
It's understandable, considering the official MSHSL state semifinal boxscore claimed Wagner "owns the state career scoring record" in addition to six tournament records, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. However, anyone who read last year's AP Player of the Year announcement knows otherwise.
You see, the MSHSL also recognized Dahlman with a game ball last season when she became the first Minnesotan to score 5,000 career points, according to the Star-Tribune. However, the organization reportedly opted to honor Wagner this year as the state's all-time leading scorer because it had not received official documentation from Braham corroborating Dahlman's 5,060 career points in six varsity seasons.
Of course, the MSHSL could have avoided all this confusion had they consulted Braham coach Tim Malone prior to declaring Wagner the state's career scoring leader at the tournament. According to the Star-Tribune, Malone promptly submitted the proper documentation for Dahlman via fax on Monday and had not heard back from the MSHSL before the Minneapolis newspaper published its story on Wednesday.
A 2013 McDonald's All-American who missed the majority of her freshman season at Vanderbilt after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot, Dahlman must have figured her state record was safe for at least another year when Wagner fell 1,103 points shy of her total. But don't feel bad for Wagner. She defeated Dahlman in the 2013 Class 2A state title game with a state tournament record 53-point performance.
