Free State High forward Madison Piper (14) shoots over Lansing defender Victoria Robinson (24) Friday night at Free State.

Free State High basketball standout Madison Piper committed to play college basketball at Santa Clara on Tuesday night.

After visiting the school in September, Piper knew it was the place that she wanted to spend her college career.

“It’s a beautiful, beautiful place in California,” Piper said. “Then once I got to know the coaches and the players and everyone there, I just grew to love the place.”

Piper, a two-time Sunflower League Player of the Year, is Free State’s all-time leading scorer with 1,132 points. The 5-foot-10 senior wing averaged 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season despite being face-guarded by most opponents.

Before making her commitment to Santa Clara, Piper considered Kansas, Iowa and Colorado.

“At the end, it was always Santa Clara, I guess,” Piper said. “I loved everything about it.”

The Broncos, in the West Coast Conference, posted a 23-9 record last season and earning a trip to the WNIT.

Piper said she loved the direction that first-year coach Bill Carr planned for the program and just wanted to be a part of it.

“It’s definitely going to be a completely new experience from Kansas,” Piper said. “It’s going to be a whole new lifestyle out there and that’s kind of what drew me. Just something different and a new experience.”

Piper was one of five finalists for the DiRenna Award last year, given to the most outstanding girls basketball player in the Kansas City metro area. She’s reached a double-digit point total in 58 of the 66 games in her varsity career.

She said it was always her goal to commit to a school before her final high school season and the recruiting process was “pretty hectic” before narrowing down her list of schools.

“It’s honestly so relieving,” Piper said. “Now I can just focus on the high school season and enjoy the last of my basketball experiences with my teammates.”