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Friars Continue to Rebuild Under Jabir
October 23, 1998 FRIARS CONTINUE TO REBUILD UNDER HEAD COACH JIM JABIR Third year head coach Jim Jabir has positioned himself and his team well. With two solid years of recruiting behind him, the Friars will soon be in the BIG EAST hunt and capable of scaring some contenders. Jabir's relentless work ethic has given the Friars a chance again at making some waves throughout the conference. Still a year or two away from great things, Jabir is confident that with each passing year the Friars are building something unique at Providence. Last season the Friars were 10-17 and won six games in the BIG EAST. With the top two scorers returning and the top three rebounders returning, the Friars are confident and working around the clock to improve from the record a year ago. The Friars are deep in the frontcourt with four sophomores who saw considerable action a year ago. An All- Rookie Team select in the BIG EAST, Jennifer Gombotz led the team as a rookie in several categories. She hit for 11.8 points per game, grabbed 5.1 rebounds and made 1.6 steals per game. Gombotz is a steady competitor who plays hard for 40 minutes night after night. The forward kept the Friars in many games last season with her clutch shooting and her gritty defense. Classmate Monika Roberts earned 11 starts while scoring 7.2 points a game. A solid shooter and rebounder, Roberts is a mature athlete with loads of potential. Sophomores Amy Drechsler and Dani Trippany also saw several quality minutes as freshman. Drechsler is one of the best conditioned ahtletes on the squad and is turning into a strong post player for the Friars. Trippany, a 6-5 center, is a determined athlete with a strong work ethic. She has a nice touch in the paint and will battle anyone in the middle for a rebound. The Friars have two juniors in the frontcourt including All-BIG EAST Candidate Meghan Hinds. A year ago, Hinds led the team scoring 12.2 points per game. After tearing her ACL as a freshman, Hinds came back and scored a career high 24 points in the season opener last year. Fearless and very athletic, Hinds is a natural leader on the court and has the respect of her peers as well as opponents. Classmate Zahra Williams has one year behind her and is expected to see more action this season. With an enormous vertical leap, Williams is a solid rebounder and has worked hard on improving her offensive skills. Senior centers Kerri Sullivan and Dana Simonelli have both worked hard throughout their careers. Sullivan has played through numerous injuries and last season was able to play in all 27 games while earning 14 starts. She is a solid all-around performer with her strength being her consistency. She has the passing skills of a guard on the court while also being a tough rebounder under the hoop. Simonelli earned 15 starts last season and has started xx in her career. She is solid in the paint and has good instincts with the ball. Both are leaders on the court and will look to help their squad earn more wins this season than any other in their career. Newcomers Catrina Hawley- Stewart and junior Andrea Crooks will be in the mix early in the season. Hawley-Stewart is as athletic as they come with a nice touch around the hoop. Crooks, a transfer from Seward County Community College, could be one of the most aggressive on the squad for the Friars. She is a brick wall in the middle with very little getting by her. Agile and quick for her size, Crooks will be a go-to player for the next two seasons. The Friar backcourt is untested with only Abby Charbonneau having a few games behind her as a freshman. Although, Charbonneau underwent two knee surgeries last spring and will look to January before she steps on the court. Redshirt sophomore Sheree Thornton underwent knee surgery last September and should be the frontrunner at the point. Also in the mix will be freshman Chrissy Vozab who is an excellent three-point shooter. Vozab also brings speed and quickness as well as confidence in the position. Junior Farrah Thomas will see her first year of action at Providence after two successful years at Coffeyville Community College (AK). A brilliant defender and tough competitor, Thomas has great speed which will aid the transition game of the Friars. The athletic Thomas should make an immediate impact on the court for coach Jim Jabir. The 1998-99 schedule sees no gimmies for the Friars.
Front Court At A Glance Frontcourt Returning G/S FG/Att Reb/Avg Pts/Avg Dana Simonelli, Sr 26/15 61/128 98/3.8 175/6.7 Kerri Sullivan, Sr 27/14 59/136 98/3.6 145/5.4 Zahra Williams, Jr 17/0 14/27 23/1.4 31/1.8 Amy Drechsler, So 19/0 21/51 26/1.4 51/2.7 Jen Gombotz, So 27/27 119/294 138/5.1 318/11.8 Monika Roberts, So 23/11 62/135 99/4.3 165/7.2 Dani Trippany, So 26/4 45/93 65/2.5 121/4.7Back Court At A Glance Backcourt Returning G/S FG/Att 3Pt/Att Asst/Avg Pts/Avg Meghan Hinds, Jr 26/18 106/266 14/44 49/1.9 316/12.2 Abby Charbonneau, So 15/0 5/28 5/24 13/1.2 16/1.1
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