University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Deborah Orianegbena Earns College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Honors
03.24.2026 | Women's Basketball
FULL COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS RELEASE
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GREENWOOD, Ind. - UNC Asheville Women's Basketball sophomore Deborah Orianegbena has earned Academic All-District® honors from College Sports Communicators, announced by the organization today (Tuesday, Mar. 24). This marks the third straight season that the Bulldogs have had at least one Academic All-District® selection.
To qualify for the honor, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore both athletically and academically, maintain a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and also either appear in 90 percent of their team's contests or start in at least 66 percent of contests.
Orianegbena played in all 30 games this season as a sophomore, including making 26 starts averaging 22 minutes per game. She averaged 4.5 points per game to go along with a 7.0 rebounds per game average. She also totaled 23 assists, 47 steals and seven blocks on the season. Orianegbena totaled five double-digit rebounding efforts on the season. In addition to her play on the floor, she was awarded the 2025-26 Kay Yow Servant Leader Award prior to the season. Academically, she holds a 3.80 cumulative grade point average in health sciences.
This is Orianegbena's first career Academic All-District® honor. She is a native of Edo State, Nigeria.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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GREENWOOD, Ind. - UNC Asheville Women's Basketball sophomore Deborah Orianegbena has earned Academic All-District® honors from College Sports Communicators, announced by the organization today (Tuesday, Mar. 24). This marks the third straight season that the Bulldogs have had at least one Academic All-District® selection.
To qualify for the honor, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore both athletically and academically, maintain a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and also either appear in 90 percent of their team's contests or start in at least 66 percent of contests.
Orianegbena played in all 30 games this season as a sophomore, including making 26 starts averaging 22 minutes per game. She averaged 4.5 points per game to go along with a 7.0 rebounds per game average. She also totaled 23 assists, 47 steals and seven blocks on the season. Orianegbena totaled five double-digit rebounding efforts on the season. In addition to her play on the floor, she was awarded the 2025-26 Kay Yow Servant Leader Award prior to the season. Academically, she holds a 3.80 cumulative grade point average in health sciences.
This is Orianegbena's first career Academic All-District® honor. She is a native of Edo State, Nigeria.
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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Players Mentioned
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