Gabby Burris stood calmly at the free-throw line after being fouled by UNC Wilmington’s Timber Tate.
Burris looked at ease as she drained the shot, turned around and walked off the court for a substitution as the crowd applauded. She had just given Ohio an 18-point lead and all, but ended a comeback opportunity from UNC Wilmington.
Everyone on the Bobcats — not just Burris — used their free-throw opportunities to defeat the Seahawks 95-72 at The Convo for their first win of the season on Sunday. It was an all-around clean performance from Ohio, but its 21-for-27 performance from the free-throw line was arguably the most polished part of its opening game.
“We always focus on free throws,” Burris said. “I feel like free-throws are something that we all hold each other accountable for. It’s always something I recognize in our team chemistry.”
The Bobcats had little scouting material from the Seahawks before Sunday, so they went with an aggressive offense to begin the game.
The plan helped the Bobcats match the Seahawks with 14 points from the paint in the first half. But Ohio gained its edge over the UNC Wilmington from the free-throw line, where it went 12-for-13 and slowly increased a lead it carried for the rest of the game.
The most important string of foul shots came from Dominique Doseck after the Seahawks cut into the Bobcats’ 13-point halftime lead with a quick 8-0 scoring run to begin the third quarter.
Ohio needed to stop the bleeding, so it went back to what worked in the first half — aggressive drives to the hoop. After the Seahawks fought back to trim the lead to eight, Ohio received three free throws from Doseck to complement two field goals and increase the scoring cushion back to double-digits.
Doseck said she had no idea what the score was at the time, and it helped keep her composure when she went to the line.
“Absolutely not,” Doseck said when asked if she knew the score. “I was just taking what the defense was giving me.”
The impressive free-throw performance caught coach Bob Boldon by surprise. He said the Bobcats’ free throws in practice throughout October were “atrocious” and that he wish there was extra time in practice for his team to work on them.
But for whatever reason on Sunday, something clicked.
“We’ve worked on it,” Boldon said. “I’m a firm believer that you get what you work on. But you have to pick and choose what you work on each day.”
Ohio was ninth in the Mid-American Conference with a .650 free-throw percentage last year, but the Bobcats’ 77.8 free-throw percentage Sunday suggests that they’ll improve their foul-shooting this season.
So, will that be one of the most improved aspect of Ohio’s game this season?
“If you would have asked me last week, I would have said no,” Boldon said. “Today, yes.”
