Girls basketball: Senior Brooke Carlson sets Batavia’s all-time scoring record

BATAVIA – Brooke Carlson passed Hannah Frazier as Batavia’s all-time scoring leader in the Bulldogs’ DuKane Conference battle with St. Charles East on Feb. 1.

The senior tied Frazier’s mark of 2,046 career points – set in 2016 – at the 6:47 mark in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Twelve seconds later, Carlson broke the record on a short jumper on a feed from Hallie Crane.

The Colorado State commit finished the night with a game-high 21 points for a career total of 2,051 points.

Batavia won 68-56 in the game at home.

“It felt amazing. My whole team was supporting me,” Carlson said of the record-breaking basket.

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Batavia’s Brooke Carlson celebrates breaking the school’s all-time points scored during a game against St. Charles East at Batavia on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (Sandy Bressner)

After the bucket, action stopped for a few minutes as the Batavia squad celebrated the milestone.

“We needed something to make us smile a little bit,” Bulldogs coach Kevin Jensen said. “I felt like we were a little tight at times.”

St. Charles East (17-6, 6-6) did not make it easy for Carlson.

“We contained Brooke to below her average,” St. Charles East coach Katie Claussner said. “She’s a great player, but I thought Addie [Schilb] and Carmen [Aguilera] played really great defense on her.”

Carlson scored 11 points from the field on five baskets and converted 10-of-12 free throws.

“Those free throws 100% helped me,” she said.

The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle between the two squads. Carlson’s first free throw of the contest put Batavia (22-5, 11-1) up 18-17 at the end of the first quarter.

The second period was the key to the game. Batavia outscored St. Charles East 18-8 to lead 36-25 at halftime.

“Our energy wasn’t there, but we picked it up at the end [of the second quarter] and we got the work done,” Carlson said.

“Defensively, we were a little better [in the second quarter]. We pulled off our press and locked in a little better in the half court ‘D,’ ” Jensen said. “We weren’t quite executing in the first quarter in the full court, but when we went to the half court, we were much better.”

“That’s been our story all season. We have one quarter where we can’t hit our shots. I keep saying we’re going to string together four [quarters] when it matters,” Claussner said about the second period.

The Saints stayed with the Bulldogs in the third quarter and trailed 47-38 going to the fourth.

St. Charles East rallied in the fourth quarter and pulled to within six on a Schilb layup with 2:27 left to play.

“We just couldn’t get the last ones that we needed,” Claussner said.

Schilb led St. Charles East with 19 points.

“She’s just our sophomore stud. She’s been knocking down shots left and right. That girl doesn’t know how to give less than 100%,” Claussner said.

Corrine Reed scored 18 points for St. Charles East.

Batavia’s Crane finished with 13 points. Teammate Kylee Gehrt tallied 12.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240201/prep-sports/carlson-becomes-batavias-all-time-leading-scorer/