CORVALLIS, Ore. – Former Columbia Falls High School standout Kiara Burlage was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital women’s basketball player of the week on Monday.
Burlage, now a senior at Lewis-Clark State College, helped the No. 24-ranked Warriors win their first Cascade championship last weekend. The Warriors swept College of Idaho in a best-of-three series, winning 56-40 on Thursday and 97-66 on Sunday. The wins clinched the conference championship for the Warriors and secured the league's automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.
A 6-foot forward, Burlage led the Warriors in scoring in both games. She had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday's win, adding two assists and one steal. On Saturday, she had 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
It's the third player of the week honor of the season for Burlage, who leads Lewis-Clark in scoring (16.8 points per game) and rebounding (6.9 per game). She's been incredibly efficient scoring, as well, making 49.5% of her field goal attempts, 41.7% of her 3-point attempts and 75.2% of her free throw attempts.
LC State (12-5) now awaits the announcement of brackets for the NAIA national tournament. Opening-round games will be played on March 12 and 13 at host sites before the final 16 teams head to Sioux City, Iowa.
Lewis-Clark State will host both men's and women's events at the Lewis-Clark State Activity Center, the NAIA announced on Tuesday. The full list of opening-round sites for the men's and women's NAIA national tournaments is below.
Women's sites with host in parentheses
Alexandria, La. (LSU Alexandria)
Crestview Hills, Ky. (Thomas More)
Indianapolis, Ind. (Marian)
Lakeland, Fla. (Southeastern)
Lewiston, Idaho (Lewis-Clark State)
Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Sports Commission)
Park City, Kan. (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
Wichita, Kan. (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
Men's sites with host in parentheses
Alexandria, La. (LSU Alexandria)
Crestview Hills, Ky. (Thomas More)
Lewiston, Idaho (Lewis-Clark State)
Marion, Ind. (Indiana Wesleyan)
Montgomery, Ala. (Faulkner)
Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Sports Commission)
Park City, Kan. (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
Wichita, Kan. (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)
