In the state of Massachusetts, one of the top girls' basketball programs year in and year out in the state is St. Mary’s of Lynn, a Catholic school just north of Boston. They have claimed three of the last four Division 3 state championships and play the top programs in the state, and even traveled to play out-of-state competition.
They have produced some of the top girls' high school players in the state, and they have another star in sophomore Bella Owumi. To say that she has caught the attention of big-time college programs is an understatement. She has over a dozen scholarship offers and was offered one as a seventh-grader from the University of Rhode Island. Her latest offer came from Virginia Tech.
Megan Duffy and Virginia Tech offer rising Massachusetts Class of 2027 star
Megan Duffy and Virginia Tech were the latest to offer Owumi, from the Class of 2027, a scholarship and jump in the mix for the 2024-25 Massachusetts Max Preps Player of the Year. What a year it was as she was named MVP of the Catholic Central League and scored her 1,000th career point. St. Mary’s finished with a 25-3 record and claimed a state title with a 46-38 win over Norwell, with Owumi scoring 19 points.
"It's the athleticism, the motor and her willingness to work at the game and get better," St. Mary's coach Jeff Newhall said. "Some kids, it comes naturally. Some kids, it comes early. Some kids, it comes a little bit later, [but] she's kind of had it the whole way. "
One look at her stat line opens a lot of eyes for a sophomore in high school. Owumi averaged 17.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 3.8 assists a night for the Spartans. There is no doubt that more schools are going to get into the mix for her, but the Hokies have entered the mix for a talented player who could step in and make an immediate impact right away.