GREENSBORO, N.C. — Former Peabody High basketball standout Oluchi Okananwa continues to prove she is a force to be reckoned with in Division 1 women’s basketball.
The 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Sixth Player of the Year, Okananwa and her No. 11 Duke Blue Devils captured their first ACC tournament title in 12 years and ninth in program history, defeating top-seeded and No. 7 North Carolina State, 76-62, Sunday at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Oluchi, a sophomore guard, was the Blue Devils’ leading scorer in all three tournament games, earning ACC Tournament MVP honors and being named to the ACC Women’s All-Tournament First Team.
Okananwa opened the tournament with a team-high 13 points in Duke’s first-round 61-48 win against Louisville, then followed with a team-high 14 points in a 61-56 win in the semifinals against No. 6 Notre Dame.
As if that wasn’t enough, Okananwa raised the bar to another level against the Wolfpack in the championship game. In 33 minutes, she did it all for Duke, matching a career-high with 22 points – tied with teammate Ashlon Jackson for the team-high in scoring.
Okananwa was 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point land, with 10 rebounds and four assists. All of her assists came in the third quarter – third best in Duke program history for assists in a single quarter.
The double-double was Okananwa’s second of the season and fifth of her career. She is the sixth Blue Devil to earn ACC Tournament MVP honors.
When asked what it meant to be named tournament MVP, Okanwana expressed her gratitude to those who have helped her along the way.
“You don’t get to this position without the help of so many loved ones, starting with my teammates,” Okananwa said in a postgame interview. “I really do play for them, truly, and the coaches who I would not be where I am without them and their mentorship in my life.
“And, obviously, my loved ones from back home that keep on cheering you on, so, when you get to that moment, it’s kind of like, this was all for you guys.”
One of those people “from back home” is Peabody girls basketball Coach Stan McKeen, who coached Okananwa when she was a freshman and coming in off the bench.
“What can I say about her other than she was going to be a special player – that’s for sure,” McKeen said. “She always worked hard at practice and wanted to become better and better. It’s ironic that her freshman year (at Peabody), she was the first player off the bench and she has that same role at Duke. She’s just a phenomenal talent.”
A member of the 2023-2024 All-ACC freshman team, Okananwa has averaged 22.1 minutes per game. Despite coming in off the bench in each of the Blue Devils’ 33 games, Okananwa has averaged 10.2 points per game (third best on the team) and 5.1 rebounds per game. She leads the team in steals with 58.
A 2023 graduate of Worcester Academy, Okananwa played one year at Peabody High. As a freshman, she helped lead the Tanners to one of their best seasons in program history, finishing with a 19-1 regular-season record and reaching the semifinals of the MIAA Division 1 North Tournament. Coming in off the bench, she averaged 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 steals per game, earning Northeastern Conference Player of the Year.
She then transferred to New Hampton School, where she played two seasons, then closed out her career at Worcester as the NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletics Council) Player of the Year.
Having beaten five tournament teams in a row, the Blue Devils may be peaking at just the right time ahead of the NCAA tournament. The brackets are scheduled to be released Sunday with first-round games beginning Thursday, March 21.
“This is great and it’s amazing, and it’s just fuel for us to keep doing better as we continue on in the postseason,” Okananwa said. “It’s just growing our connectivity.”
Duke Head Coach Kara Lawson said her Blue Devils aren’t taking anything for granted.
“Once we get the opponent in front of us, we’ll be fixated on that… our group has done a good job of being singularly focused, not looking ahead,” she said. “You have to be that in March. You have to be locked in because anybody can beat you… so we’ll have to keep our sharpness and competitive edge.”
