Two former local prep players recently came home and played in front of family and friends at St. Thomas’ new Lee and Peggy Anderson Arena.
Omaha ideal for Ojullu
Aduke Ojullu is in her first year at Omaha. The 6’1” freshman forward from Lakeville, Minn. told MSR after her team’s Feb. 14 contest against host St. Thomas, “I think it was a very easy adjustment [to college basketball].” She is one of two Minnesota natives on the Mavericks.
Thus far Ojullu has not appeared in a game. “Obviously, I haven’t really touched the court yet,” admitted the frosh. Nonetheless, her experience as a college student-athlete “definitely has been what I expected — go to practice every day.”
She attended Lakeville North High School, where she was a two-time all-conference honoree, helping lead her team to a conference title in her junior year and playing in the state tournament in both her junior and senior seasons.
“It’s definitely a lot of hard work studying and all of that,” she pointed out.
Omaha fits her as the ideal place for college and hoops, continued Ojullu. “Omaha is a great place. When I first went on campus, it really seemed just like home.
“The coaches really fostered an open, supportive setting. They wanted to know me, not just me as a basketball player. That’s also very warm to my heart.
“I’m majoring in biology with a minor in Spanish, and I hope to become an orthopedic surgeon or something in the pharmaceuticals or biotech [fields],” surmised Ojullu, hoping to keep pace with her family’s tradition. “My dad has always pushed us to become a doctor, and just be the best version of ourselves. My sister is also a pharmacist.
“I also love helping people, and I love just medical stuff. It just seemed perfect.”
Oral Roberts loves Ari
Oral Roberts Redshirt Junior Ari Gordon scored a career-high 15 points off the bench against Omaha last month. Against St. Thomas Feb. 12, she added 13 points and a game-high five steals in a five-point loss to the Tommies.
“We love Ari. She’s extremely athletic,” said ORU Head Coach Cophie Anderson of the 5’11” guard from Maple Grove, Minn., the only Minnesotan on the roster this season. “I don’t know if she realizes how good she can be on both sides of the floor.”
Gordon’s first two seasons playing college ball took place at Seward County (Kan.) CC, where she was named KJCCC (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference) Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25, her redshirt sophomore season. She earlier was an all-conference performer at Maple Grove H.S. after winning the conference title in her senior season.
This season, her first at ORU, Gordon is second on the team in both steals and blocks, averaging 5.3 ppg, starting two games thus far — she was in the starting lineup against St. Thomas. The player is part of the Golden Eagles “rebuilt” roster, as Anderson told MSR after the game.
“Just trying to get the most out of what we have, and hoping that we can maximize our opportunities as we head out down the stretch in February,” surmised Anderson, who was featured in MSR’s Coaching While Black series last May.
Hockey history times two
Lalia Edwards made history last week as she assisted on the tying goal to send the Winter Olympics gold medal game into OT, which the USA won 2-1 over Canada. She is the first Black woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA.
Locally last week, Aubrey Lang, a junior forward on the Breck School/Groves Academy co-op girls hockey team, appeared in this year’s Class A girls hockey state tournament. She was the only Black player in the eight-team tournament field.
“We went to the [pre-tourney] banquet. We didn’t see any brown faces or any other Black girl,” reported Meredith Lang, Aubrey’s mother.
Breck last Saturday won the state Class A championship, and Aubrey is the first Black girls hockey player to win a state title. Meredith likens her daughter’s historic feat to Edwards as far as historical significance is concerned.
“I think when it’s over she will look at it and think of what an accomplishment it is. On a small scale, she can do for other young [Black] girls” to also play hockey, concluded Aubrey’s mom.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.