AURORA | The dominance of the Regis Jesuit girls basketball team continues to bear fruit for its members, as seniors stars Justine Hall and Diani Akigbogun received a major national honor Wednesday.
Both Hall — a Purdue University signee — and the University of Texas-bound Akigbogun were named honorable mention All-Americans by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
A total of 100 senior players from across the country, who played their senior seasons and weren’t transfers, were nominated for the prestigious honors and 10 were selected All-Americans, while 20 others received honorable mention status. Hall and Akigbogun are the first players from coach Carl Mattei’s elite program to receive the national awards.
Hall is in line to finish as the leading scorer for a second straight season for Regis Jesuit, as she’s averaged 15.6 points per game on a team with six Division I signees.
Akigbogun — last season’s Colorado Gatorade Player of Year — averages 13.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Raiders who are 21-2 overall and undefeated in Colorado as they aim for a second consecutive 5A state championship.
Regis Jesuit, which opens the playoffs with a second round game against Rocky Mountain on Friday, has played very well on the road against a slew of nationally-ranked teams and should finish the season ranked higher than any girls basketball team ever in the state.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel