Turner makes free throws a priority for Racers
WBB: Murray State went 30-for-34 from the line in Friday's win at Southern Indiana
Murray State made 30-of-34 free throws on Friday night in their 79-77 win at Southern Indiana. Dating back to 2002-03, their 88.2% performance from the line was the best they’d ever had in a game with at least 34 attempts.
If it feels like the Racers are usually pretty good from the charity stripe, those feelings are most definitely backed up by facts. Last season, Murray State, as a team, made 80.2% of their free throws, which ranks third in program history.
Last season was hardly the exception to the rule for Rechelle Turner’s Murray State teams. Dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, the Racers have made 77.9% of their free throws, which ranks #1 in America.
Murray State’s outstanding free throw shooting at USI Friday night punctuated Turner’s belief that if she prioritizes free throws to her team, her players will prioritize them as well.
“I think if you ask our team, something that we put at the top of the importance rankings is free throws,” Turner said. “We shoot free throws every practice. We never get a drink of water until our players earn water, and that means they have to go the free throw line, and they have to make two in a row. If they miss the first one, they have a 22. If they miss the next one, they have an 11, which is down and back twice, or down and back once. You can ask them, we never just let them out of it. If four or five of them miss in a row, they run every sprint. It doesn’t matter if we have a game the next day. They understand that they have to earn that. We put them in pressure situations at the free throw line every day in practice. A lot of coaches don’t like giving up practice time for free throws — we do that. Every time that we do have a water break when we’re in the practice gym, we shoot free throws after. I just think that whatever you emphasize the most is going to be at the back of the kids’ minds of the importance. I, for one, am a firm believer that free throws win games, and it’s something that’s been a big part of our program from the jump.”
Dating back the start of the 2020-21 season, there have been 37 players nationally who have attempted at least 250 free throws and made at least 85.0% from the line. Three of those players are Murray State Racers.
In her final three years as a Racer, Macey Turley topped that list making 92.2% from the stripe. Haven Ford ranks 29th with 85.7%, while Katelyn Young is 33rd with 85.4%.
Ford and Halli Poock made all 19 of their free throw attempts Friday at Southern Indiana — with Poock going a perfect 13-for-13. Poock joins Ford (13-for-13 vs. Bradley in 2024, Young (13-for-13 vs. Southeast Missouri State in 2021), and Ke’Shunan James (20-for-20 vs. Northern Kentucky in 2017) at the top of the list of most free throws made in a game without a miss in Murray State program history.
The Racers will play at South Dakota State on Tuesday.