WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Freshman Izzy Shepherd has been named the Crossroads League Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league office earlier today.

Shepherd earned the honor after a breakout performance in Huntington’s 118-62 victory over Ohio Christian on Saturday afternoon at Platt Arena. The freshman guard was a menace on the defensive end, recording nine steals that repeatedly turned into easy scoring opportunities for the Foresters.

In addition to her defensive impact, Shepherd delivered a career- and game-high 25 points while adding four assists in the lopsided win. She scored 22 of her 25 points in the second half, helping Huntington pull away and post the highest scoring output by the program since 2014.

The performance marked Shepherd’s second appearance in Forester green. Her nine steals were a key factor in Huntington forcing 33 Ohio Christian turnovers, which the Foresters converted into 39 points.

With the win, Huntington improved to 9-3 on the season, extended its winning streak to five games and remained unbeaten at home at 7-0. The Foresters are in Arizona this week for a pair of nonconference matchups, taking on Arizona Christian on Wednesday before closing the trip against Embry-Riddle on Friday.