Shepard becomes the second Warrior to garner NEC Rookie of the Week accolades, as she joins three-time honoree Paloma Garcia. The first-year guard had a big night in Merrimack’s lone game of the week, a 15-point victory at Saint Francis U on Thursday. Going nearly perfect from the free-throw line with a 7-for-8 effort, Shepard shot a scorching 70.0 percent from the field to lead all scorers with 21 points. With her fourth 20-point effort of the season, the Boston native pushed her season average to 8.0 points per game. She has been even more impressive against conference competitors, ranking 20th with 9.8 points per contest. The Warriors have now won four-in-a-row and with Saturday’s triumph, they secured a spot in the NEC Tournament for the second time since becoming eligible for the postseason in 2022-23.