Women’s hoops need more free throws

The Columbia women’s basketball team (2-17) has still failed to pick up its first Ivy League victory. However, signs of a turnaround are evident. In three of their last four games, the Lions have shot above their season field goal percentage. In their latest game against Harvard, they outshot the Crimson 43.1 percent to 37.7 percent in one of their best games of the season,

However, the Light Blue faltered from the charity stride, with a lower percentage and fewer attempts than its opponent—whereas the Crimson managed a perfect 21-of-21 from the free throw line, Columbia shot just 6-of-9.

“Sometimes we will be really hot from the field, but when we go to the free throw line, we miss a shot,” head coach Paul Nixon said. “As a coach you are scratching your head because they made all those really tough shots with defense on.”

In Ivy play this year, Columbia has made 27-of-47 compared to opponents’ 52-of-64. That 58.5 percentage for the Light Blue ranks last in the conference.

“It is also an individual thing, making the free throw shots,” Nixon said. “As coaches we’re always looking for different ways to work with our players. Sometimes it is a mechanical adjustment and we help them fix it. Other times it is just a mental thing.”

Percentage from the line is not the only element of the free-throw problem for the Lions. The disparity in attempts between the Light Blue and its opponents is another contributing factor in this season’s struggles—opponents have attempted 47 more free throws, with the Lions commiting 23 more personal fouls than they’ve drawn.

“It would always be nice to attempt more free throws than the opponent,” Nixon said. “That is a team goal.”

This theme of low percentage and low attempts from the line has been present throughout the season, as the Lions have only made 208 free throws while their opponents have sunk 265 shots from the charity stripe. In four games this season—against Harvard, St. Francis, Hawaii, and Fairfield—the difference in a loss could have been made up if the Light Blue scored an equivalent number of points from free throws as their opponents. In another three games against Long Island, Long Beach State, and Lafayette, Columbia would have come within at least five points had they been even in free throws.

In their next two games against Yale and Brown, the Lions will have to make sure they keep up with their opponents’ free throw shooting. It will be especially difficult because Yale ranks as the top Ivy League team in foul shooting this season at 81.9 percent and Brown has two of the top free throw shooters in the conference in Hannah Passafuime and Lauren Clarke. They have shot a combined 89.2 percent from the charity stripe in Ivy League play.

The Lions are still a young team, and Nixon is confident that the important skills they’ve seemed to lack this season will come in time.

“We have a lot of young players and one thing you have to learn is that things that were fouls in high school are not fouls in college,” Nixon said of the trend. “It is a learned skill. With experience, you’ll see it hopefully reverse.”