Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Taking Advantage of the Line
1/14/2016 1:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The free-throw line has proven kind to Indiana this season all by a design months in the making.
The Hoosiers have made more free throws (276) than opponents have attempted (222) this season and lead the Big Ten in both free throws made and attempted while shooting 73 percent from the charity stripe. Nationally, Indiana ranks fourth in free throw makes and ninth in attempts after upsetting No. 18 Michigan State on Wednesday at Assembly Hall.
It hasn't been a statistical anomaly—it's a plan. Head coach Teri Moren said the Hoosiers' numbers at the free-throw line reflect her team's commitment to getting there. With restrictions on contact leading to an increase in whistles and two free throws awarded on the fifth team foul in each quarter, free throws have become one of IU's top priorities.
"Every night that we play, one of the keys to the game is getting to the free throw line," Moren said. "We've got to get there to score."
In all, free throws account for 23.2 percent of Indiana's scoring output through 17 games. That's a 5.3 percent increase from last year's season total and a 5.9 percent increase on the year before.
The Spartans are the closest to the Hoosiers in that regard, scoring 20.1 percent of their points at the line. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Michigan manufactures just 12.3 percent of its scoring from the stripe.
"It's definitely a mindset of just knowing we've got to get there," sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. "Coach has really drilled that into us that we can take advantage when we're aggressive and attack and just get to the line."
Buss has been instrumental in Indiana's free-throw shooting prowess. The second-year guard's 150 free throw attempts lead the nation while her 115 makes rank third. Against Michigan State, Buss hit 12-of-17 tries from the charity stripe, actually hurting her 76.7 percent shooting clip.
"It's not really something you notice, but you're working on it," she said. "I've been really working on going through the contact and not shying away from the foul."
The coaching staff makes an effort to simulate the pressure surrounding free-throw tries in practice with a series of drills that reward makes and punish misses. Near the end of practice Tuesday night, Indiana practiced free throws using a 40/20 drill where the team's goal is to make 40 free throws, worth one point each, before missing 10, worth two points each.
If the Hoosiers are successful, they get out of doing a punishment workout. If they fail, they're either running sprints or doing planks as a team and likely have to go through the drill again until they either complete it or run out of time.
"It really makes us focus and concentrate because if we miss one, that's two against us," Buss said. "It's not exactly the same as the game, but it really makes us focus when we get to the line."
On nights where outside shots aren't falling, Moren said Indiana's ability to get to the line and convert will turn close losses into wins throughout the course of the season. The Hoosiers have already seen it pay dividends, including notable wins over Georgia Tech, Samford and Michigan.
On the flip side, Moren said her team didn't get to the line nearly enough in back-to-back losses against Ohio State and Purdue that saw Indiana take just 27 free throws between both games combined, well below IU's season average of 22.2 per game.
As Indiana returned to the free throw line against Michigan State—the Hoosiers took 34—another victory followed and IU remained undefeated at Assembly Hall.
The correlation is too strong to ignore. As free throws come, so have wins as IU is a perfect 5-0 when it shoots 30 or more free throws in a game.
So expect Indiana to keep cashing in at the line.
"Sometimes when you're probably not as deep and not as athletic as we'd like to be, we've got to figure out how to manufacture some points in a different way," Moren said. "Is it by design? I guess so. Because it's certainly something we talk about and we're proud of to this point what we've been able to do."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The free-throw line has proven kind to Indiana this season all by a design months in the making.
The Hoosiers have made more free throws (276) than opponents have attempted (222) this season and lead the Big Ten in both free throws made and attempted while shooting 73 percent from the charity stripe. Nationally, Indiana ranks fourth in free throw makes and ninth in attempts after upsetting No. 18 Michigan State on Wednesday at Assembly Hall.
It hasn't been a statistical anomaly—it's a plan. Head coach Teri Moren said the Hoosiers' numbers at the free-throw line reflect her team's commitment to getting there. With restrictions on contact leading to an increase in whistles and two free throws awarded on the fifth team foul in each quarter, free throws have become one of IU's top priorities.
"Every night that we play, one of the keys to the game is getting to the free throw line," Moren said. "We've got to get there to score."
In all, free throws account for 23.2 percent of Indiana's scoring output through 17 games. That's a 5.3 percent increase from last year's season total and a 5.9 percent increase on the year before.
The Spartans are the closest to the Hoosiers in that regard, scoring 20.1 percent of their points at the line. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Michigan manufactures just 12.3 percent of its scoring from the stripe.
"It's definitely a mindset of just knowing we've got to get there," sophomore guard Tyra Buss said. "Coach has really drilled that into us that we can take advantage when we're aggressive and attack and just get to the line."
Buss has been instrumental in Indiana's free-throw shooting prowess. The second-year guard's 150 free throw attempts lead the nation while her 115 makes rank third. Against Michigan State, Buss hit 12-of-17 tries from the charity stripe, actually hurting her 76.7 percent shooting clip.
"It's not really something you notice, but you're working on it," she said. "I've been really working on going through the contact and not shying away from the foul."
The coaching staff makes an effort to simulate the pressure surrounding free-throw tries in practice with a series of drills that reward makes and punish misses. Near the end of practice Tuesday night, Indiana practiced free throws using a 40/20 drill where the team's goal is to make 40 free throws, worth one point each, before missing 10, worth two points each.
If the Hoosiers are successful, they get out of doing a punishment workout. If they fail, they're either running sprints or doing planks as a team and likely have to go through the drill again until they either complete it or run out of time.
"It really makes us focus and concentrate because if we miss one, that's two against us," Buss said. "It's not exactly the same as the game, but it really makes us focus when we get to the line."
On nights where outside shots aren't falling, Moren said Indiana's ability to get to the line and convert will turn close losses into wins throughout the course of the season. The Hoosiers have already seen it pay dividends, including notable wins over Georgia Tech, Samford and Michigan.
On the flip side, Moren said her team didn't get to the line nearly enough in back-to-back losses against Ohio State and Purdue that saw Indiana take just 27 free throws between both games combined, well below IU's season average of 22.2 per game.
As Indiana returned to the free throw line against Michigan State—the Hoosiers took 34—another victory followed and IU remained undefeated at Assembly Hall.
The correlation is too strong to ignore. As free throws come, so have wins as IU is a perfect 5-0 when it shoots 30 or more free throws in a game.
So expect Indiana to keep cashing in at the line.
"Sometimes when you're probably not as deep and not as athletic as we'd like to be, we've got to figure out how to manufacture some points in a different way," Moren said. "Is it by design? I guess so. Because it's certainly something we talk about and we're proud of to this point what we've been able to do."
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