AURORA | A profile look at Vista PEAK junior Denali Hughes, who is set to play for Team West in the second A-Town All-Star Girls Game set for Friday, March 16, 2018, at Rangeview High School. The girls game is scheduled for 5 p.m.:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Sentinel Prep Sports
DENALI HUGHES
School: Vista PEAK Prep
Year: Junior
Height: 5-foot-9
2017-18 averages: 21.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.8 assists per game
Season highlights: In her second varsity season at Vista PEAK and first under new coach Howard Payne, Hughes took her game to another notch as she helped the Bison to a 17-7 record, the East Metro Athletic Conference championship and a home game in the Class 4A state playoffs. With a combination of strong moves in the post, running the floor and a penchant for getting to the free throw line (181 times in 24 games), the EMAC Player of the Year led all Aurora girls players by a wide margin with a scoring average of 21.5 points per game, which included three efforts over 30 points and a high of 35 in a big win over Westminster. Hughes had six double-doubles on the season and her 7.9 rebounds ranked second on the team, while she led the team in steals (3.3) and assists (2.8) per contest. Hughes is a two-time A-Town All-Star Girls Game selection.
Hughes vs. Aurora teams: vs. Smoky Hill (21 points, 4 rebounds); vs. Aurora Central (23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals); vs. Rangeview (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals); vs. Gateway (34 points, 8 steals, 4 rebounds, 4 assists); vs. Hinkley (32 points, 8 steals, 5 rebounds, 4 assists)