Comeaux enjoying travel, basketball with Lumberjacks
Kiara Comeaux turned down scholarship offers from numerous colleges, including a host of in-state schools, to sign with a program 1,650 miles away from home, and she couldn’t be happier.
The 2023 Highland Baptist graduate recently wrapped up her freshman year at Dakota College where she plays basketball and volleyball. Comeaux signed with the Lumberjacks without previously visiting the campus in Bottineau, North Dakota.
“It is really far away from home, but I just wanted to travel,” said Comeaux, who won numerous track and field state titles at HBCS. “I wanted to get away. I’ll come back and visit Louisiana.”
Comeaux played in 21 of 22 volleyball matches and ranked third on the team in kills. She started 17 and played in 29 basketball games, averaging 13.2 points, six rebounds, five assists and 3.8 steals.
“Basketball actually went better than I thought it would,” she said. “I do think I could have done a lot better. I’d like to get my confidence higher.”
Dakota College went 14-17 last year and reached the regional semifinals. The Lumberjacks played a fast-paced brand of basketball, scoring nearly 80 points per game and topping the 100-point mark multiple times.
Comeaux made an impact from the start, earning Player of the Game for a 21-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist effort in November 2023. She has two teammates from her old stomping grounds, Amari Butler (Franklin Sr.) and Karrington Eugene (Southside HS), who also enjoyed stellar freshman seasons.
Butler started all 31 games and led the team in scoring (18.7) and assists (5.2). Eugene, who is also on the volleyball team, started 26 games and averaged 7.2 ppg and 7.5 rebounds. All eight players on the roster averaged at least 23 minutes per game.
“It’s been really nice connecting with the players from North Dakota,” Comeaux said. “We’ve built a great pact and gotten comfortable with each other. The team has a great bond. We’ve connected so much.”
Due to a lack of numbers, the Lumberjacks had to finish more than one game with three players on the floor. Comeaux, who expects to move from combo/shooting guard to point guard next season, embraced the challenge.
“I thought that was my chance to show what I can really do,” she said.
Dakota College, a two-year public school, is a 25-hour drive and almost an 11-hour flight from Lafayette. The city of Bottineau has a population of just over 2,000, an elevation of 1,537 feet, and it lies only 10 miles south of the Canadian border. The area gets approximately 50 inches of snowfall each year. Summers are cool with lows in the mid-40s.
“I really love the school,” Comeaux said. “It’s a great town. Everyone knows everyone. Even the people who don’t know you personally know your name. They’re very welcoming.”