Thompson Named NE10 Rookie of the Year; 3 Teammates Earn All-NE10 Honors
WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University freshman guard Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS) has been named the Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year in the Northeast-10, the conference announced on Monday. She was also tabbed for the NE10 All-Rookie Team.
Three of Thompson's teammates were also recognized with All-Northeast-10 honors with senior center Monica Viapiano (Holden/Holy Name HS) selected for the second team and both graduate forward Megan Lewis (Sevenoaks, England) and sophomore guard Kari Brekke (Appleton, Wisc./Appleton North HS) voted to the third team.
Thompson, the seventh Falcon to earn Rookie of the Year honors and the first since Jacqui Brugliera in 2010-11, is Bentley's number three scorer with a 9.4 average. She leads the team in assists (91) and free throw attempts (68), and is second in both three-pointers (44) and minutes played (27.8).
A starter in 22 games, Thompson's season has included scoring in doubles 14 times with a high of 23 last month against Assumption. Over her last 16 games, she's averaged 11 points while shooting 43 percent overall, 40 percent from three and 80 percent at the foul line.
Viapiano, who reached the 1,000-point mark in Sunday's Northeast-10 quarterfinal game at Le Moyne, leads Bentley in numerous categories during her first year as a full-time starter. She averages 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks while shooting .547 overall and .862 at the foul stripe.
Viapiano ranks seventh in the NE10 in scoring as well as fourth in both field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Brekke, in her first Bentley season, has averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 42 percent overall and 37 percent from three. She's scored at least 15 points nine times, with a high of 22 against Goldey-Beacom on Nov. 9, and has made at least one three-pointer in eight straight games.
Lewis, the only Falcon who has started every games, produces 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals a game for the Falcons. She received honorable mention All-Conference honors last year and was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 NE10 Championships.
Bentley, which was fourth in last week's NCAA Division II East Region rankings, is 19-9 following Sunday's 54-51 NE10 quarterfinal loss to Le Moyne.