Eastern women’s basketball players don’t think about it.

Eastern head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee doesn’t have them practice it much.

But the Panthers still dominate from the free throw line.

Eastern is one of the top teams in the nation at converting free throws, and it has relied on free throws as a major component of its offense.

“We told them we just have to certain things to win a basketball game,” Sallee said. “We got to continue to (shoot the free throws). We don’t practice them. We shoot a little bit of them on game day. We have good free throw shooters. We’re comfortable there. Hopefully, we can continue to (make free throws).”

The Panthers are ranked fourth in the nation in free throw percentage.

The Panthers make 79.4 percent of their free throw shots (377-of-475). That percentage is better in Ohio Valley Conference games, in which the Panthers shot 81.1 percent (257-of-317).

Each time an Eastern player is fouled and goes to the free throw line, it’s similar work. The players huddle or embrace each other, and there are grins on their faces as they high-five each other. They all know all they have to do is knock it down.

“I don’t know what I tell myself (as I approach the line),” said Eastern sophomore guard Dominique Sims. “I get nervous. Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. I take a deep breath.”

And the players knock them down.

Ask any Eastern player: It’s not about one person.

It’s about the team.

“It’s not really an emphasis,” said Eastern sophomore guard Jessica Huffman. “Every player knows it’s a crucial point. I feel like it’s more of an individual thing.”

Eastern junior forward Rachel Galligan is one of the Eastern free throw leaders.

She set an Eastern season record last season with 155 free throws made. Galligan has made 318-of-403 free throws in her Eastern career. That ranks her fourth on Eastern’s program list.

She is shooting 85.6 percent from the line this season. It ranks her fourth in the OVC and 27th in the country in free throw percentage.

Galligan has hit the key shots at the line when she needed to win this season. She finished 15-of-18 and tied the Eastern record for free throws made in a game against Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 12 at Lantz Arena. In that game, Eastern made 40-of-48 free throws.

Red-shirt sophomore guard Megan Edwards is another efficient free throw shooter. She ranks sixth in the conference in free throw shooting (84.9 percent). Edwards holds the freshman record for free throw percentage (85.2).

Southeast Missouri coach John Ishee knows the important of free throws.

“We’ve shot the ball from the free throw line the last month,” Ishee said. “Free throws are a big part of our game. That’s one of the biggest assets of our game in the past month.”

SEMO has made 50-of-58 in the past two games and is now shooting 70.9 percent from the free throw line.

Tennessee Tech Amy Brown has stressed the important of the free throw with her team.

Brown said her team practices free throws all the time in practice and said a player has to be confident at the line when she walks to the free throw line.

It is not surprising Eastern can shoot and make the throws.

The Panthers led the conference last season in free throws made (508) and ranked fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (72.7 percent).

Last season, Eastern junior guard Ellen Canale finished 10th in the league in free throw percentage (78 percent).

Making free throws just one of the little things Sallee has emphasized during his tenure as head coach. After the 2005 season, the Panthers finished fourth in program history with free throws made (419). After the 2006 season, Eastern was second on the all-time program list with free throws made (481). And last season’s squad made the most free throws in program history with 508.

The only team that’s better at shooting free throws in the conference is Murray State. The Racers rank second in the nation in free throw percentage. Murray State junior guard Amber Guffey ranks fourth in the nation in free throw percentage and second in the conference (90.3).

Eastern learned how dangerous free throw shooting could make a team when it was on the receiving end against Tennessee-Martin on Jan. 10.

UTM made 31-of-32 free throws, and the Panthers lost 66-64. The Skyhawks, who were also ranked 17th in the nation in free throw percentage, accounted for the sixth-highest free throw percentage in a single game this season with the win against Eastern.

“We just couldn’t stop fouling,” Galligan said. “I just felt like every two seconds it was just on the free throw line, free throw line, free throw line. It was frustrating.”

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.

The Panthers women basketball team is one of the OVC’s best free-throw shooting teams. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

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