GREAT BEND, Kan. (BartonSports.com) – Vivian Onugha of the Barton Community College women’s basketball team has been named as a 3rd Team Division I All-America recipient announced today by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Onugha becomes the tenth in program history and third in the last five years following Jenny Nkem Womsi’s 2023 first team award and Queen Ulabo’s second team selection in 2021.
Onugha was a constant focus from the opposition, drawing two and often three opponents surrounding her in posting 26 double-doubles to still lead the nation at 16.1 rebounds per game including 9.9 defensive boards per contest, was second in offensive rebounding at 6.1, and was 28th in scoring at 17.4 points per game.
In the grind of the competitive KJCCC leading to a first team post-season selection, Onugha was even better with 17.0 rebounds per game while third in scoring at 17.6 points per game with 21 double-double performances.
A second team selection and week fifteen conference player of the week last year, the Lagos, Nigeria, native closed out her stellar Barton career on game highs 22 points, 7 rebounds, and career high 5 steals leading Barton to its 8th straight advancement to the quarterfinal round of the post-season completing the season at 16-16 overall after falling to eventual Region 6 champion and 7th ranked Dodge City.
Earning three KJCCC player of the week honors this season, Onugha rewrote the program record book in eight different categories while having countless other top ten all-time best performances including a record 26 rebounds in a single game to earn the NJCAA’s week eight National Player of the Week by averaging 18 points and 24.5 rebounds helping Barton to a pair of victories.
Onugha’s historical etchings in the program record book included ranking first in: career rebounds (828), career rebound average (12.9), single season rebounds (514), single season rebound average (16.1), season offensive rebounds (197), season offensive rebound average (6.1), and single season defensive rebound average (9.9) while finishing ten behind with a season second most 318 defensive rebounds.
The drawn attention also sent Onugha to the free throw line, shooting a single game 20 attempts tying for the program most, was second in season attempts (208), and finished 5th all-time in being sent to the charity stripe for 325 attempts.
