Tricia Sacca-Fabbri knew from the beginning how important the incoming freshman class of 2008 would be in cushioning the losses of last year’s seniors.
The women’s head basketball coach lost a solid team player in Katie Keilty, a three point assassin in Sara Esidore, as well as the school’s second all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Ashlee Kelly, who is currently playing professionally in Holland, to graduation in May 2004.
Sacca-Fabbri landed a prized recruit in 5’11” forward Monique Lee, of Lynn, Mass.
That is the second time it appears that Sacca-Fabbri will have struck gold in Lynn, as four years ago, the head coach recruited and signed current senior Helen Ridley, who hails from the same high school as Lee, Lynn Classical.
Lee was honored as a Boston Globe dream team player her senior year of high school. A Boston Herald All-Scholastics team selection as well as the MVP of the Northeastern Conference at Classical, Lee could not have had higher expectations surrounding her.
She has certainly lived up to the hype. The freshman standout is averaging nearly a double-double with 9.8 points and 8.9 boards per game.
Her game was at its peak during the week of Feb.13, and as a result she was named the Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week. This was announced Monday, February 21st, by the NEC league office.
Lee takes the honor after a week in which she picked up a pair of double-doubles. During that week, the talented freshman notched a pair of 15 point performances against Wagner, Feb. 14, and Central Conn. St., Feb. 19. She also cleared the glass, registering 12 (Wagner) and 11 (CCSU) rebounds respectively while eating up a large amount of the minutes on the Bobcat’s front line. Both games proved to be wins for Quinnipiac.
Lee, an advertising major, has given the Bobcats a strong presence down low, one who has complemented sophomore leading scorer Krystal Pressley, who is averaging 17.1 ppg, good for third in the NEC, while also hitting the glass underneath.
She has emerged as the third leading rebounder in the Northeastern Conference, helping fill the shoes of the aforementioned Kelly, the nation’s leading rebounder last season.
