WINTHROP, Mass. - The Norwich University women's basketball team picked up a second straight week of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) recognition on Monday afternoon, as freshman Gracie Laster (Arlington, Va.) was named GNAC Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row, while senior Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) earned a spot on the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll.

Laster's latest accolade marks the first back-to-back GNAC Rookie of the Week honor for a Norwich women's basketball player since Heather LeBlanc '17 accomplished the feat during the 2023-14 season.

Laster continued her impressive start to collegiate play with another efficient week off the bench, averaging 17.0 points and 4.5 rebounds over a 1-1 stretch for the Cadets.  She opened the week with 18 points in just 15 minutes during a 94-63 rout of Gordon College, then followed it with a team-high 16 points in Friday's road matchup at Plymouth State.

The freshman forward shot 61.5% from the field and added four assists and three steals across the two-game stretch, helping lead a Cadet bench unit that outscored opponents 98-39 on the week.

O'Brien continued to shine as a steady veteran presence, averaging 14.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting a blistering 63.6% (14-22) from the floor.  The senior forward tallied 14 points against Gordon and followed with 15 in just 19 minutes at Plymouth State, playing a key role in sparking early offense and providing consistent scoring in both contests.

Norwich improved to 2-0 with its win over Gordon, but dropped its first game of the season on Friday despite a strong fourth-quarter push against Plymouth State.

Norwich continues its non-conference road swing on Tuesday, Nov. 18, with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at Middlebury College.  The Cadets then travel to the historic Barre Auditorium to take on Vermont State University Johnson on Saturday, Nov. 22.