LC State's Darian Herring Earns Defensive Honor
The senior forward was named the first Cascade Conference Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week of the season.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball
Darian Herring, a senior on the LC State women's basketball team, was named the Cascade Conference Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week after the Lewis-Clark State squad split its home opening weekend, beating Park-Gilbert (Ariz.) and losing narrowly to No. 24 Carroll (Mont.).
Why it matters
The honor recognizes Herring's defensive production across both contests and marks her first weekly award of the season and ninth of her career. It also gives Oregon basketball fans a look at a local program's early-season performance in the conference.
Herring averaged 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.5 steals per game across two contests, with a 45.5% field goal shooting mark and 6.0 points per game. Her 15 blocked shots lead the NAIA this season, though the source does not indicate how this total ranks against prior seasons.
The players
Darian Herring
Darian Herring is a senior on the LC State women's basketball team and a standout defender whose blocked-shot total leads the NAIA this season.
The details
LC State split its home opening weekend, defeating Park-Gilbert (Ariz.) and falling narrowly to No. 24 Carroll (Mont.). Herring grabbed 15 total rebounds and blocked seven shots across the two games, and her defensive play led directly to 16 points for the team.
Timeline
This weekend: LC State travels to North Dakota for the New Town Tipoff Jamboree in Bismarck, N.D.
Season Trajectory
Herring's selection as the conference's first Defensive Player of the Week of the season sets an early marker in the Cascade Conference race. Her NAIA-leading 15 blocks give LC State an early defensive identity as the schedule moves into tournament play.
Herring's blocked-shot total makes her a notable player for fantasy and bracket watchers tracking NAIA defensive leaders. LC State's next game at the New Town Tipoff Jamboree in Bismarck, N.D., will show whether her early defensive production holds up against new opponents.
The takeaway
Early-season defensive honors can signal which players will anchor a team's rotation through conference play. Watching how Herring's shot-blocking holds up against new opponents will show whether her start is a sustained trend.
Further reading
Find more coverage of the Basketball landscape across Oregon's college programs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dailyfly News.
