AMES - When Iowa State women’s basketball occasionally struggled from the free-throw line in years past, coach Bill Fennelly would inevitably get a barrage of emails from fans.
Most of them were reaching out with ideas on how to fix the issues, either recommending they work on taking shots from the charity stripe at practice or even running as punishment for misses.
“I used to save them all, and then I got too many,” Fennelly said with a smile.
A lot of those emails have been coming in this season, with Iowa State continually struggling from the charity stripe. But after the team’s Feb. 15 win over Kansas State, there are probably a couple fewer of those messages in Fennelly's inbox. It was perhaps the Cyclones' best shooting performance from the free-throw line this season. The goal is to carry it over when Iowa State (20-6 overall, 8-6 Big 12) hosts Arizona State (21-6, 8-6) at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
“Its been a really odd thing for us because it’s something we’ve always taken great pride in,” Fennelly said.
Free throw shooting has typically been one of the program's strongest suits in addition to its high scoring and elite shooting. Some of Iowa State’s best teams have ranked among the top shooters in the nation from the charity stripe. This season has been an entirely different story and the Cyclones have been wildly inconsistent in that category.
Iowa State enters its showdown with Arizona State ranked eighth among Big 12 teams in free throw percentage at 0.733%. It’s a surprising stat, not only given Iowa State’s previous success but considering the fact that the Cyclones boast one of the best and most efficient offenses in the league.
What’s made it even more frustrating for the Cyclones is the level of inconsistency. Iowa State has shown so much promise from the charity stripe at times, but has rarely managed to keep the momentum going. During a loss to West Virginia, the Cyclones connected on 18-of-19 attempts. Three days later, during a 68-62 loss to Colorado, Iowa State shot just 7-of-14 from the line, leaving Fennelly even more puzzled.
“Its been worse than the stock market,” he said.
The hope is that the Cyclones are turning the corner. The optimism stems from the win over Kansas State when Iowa State shot 89.3% (25-of-28) from the line. Point guard Jada Williams was 12-for-12, hitting multiple clutch shots free throws at the end of the game to seal the victory.
“It’s frustrating, but hopefully (Sunday) is more of the direction we’re going,” Fennelly said.
With four games left in the regular season and many of them coming against tough competition, free-throw shooting will matter more than ever. Iowa State is still trying to move up the Big 12 standings and secure a better seed for the NCAA Tournament. So every win matters and every little thing is important, especially free-throw shooting.
That’s why, yes, the Cyclones do work on their craft. And yes, Fennelly sees the emails that still come in with recommendations on how to fix the issues. While he doesn’t save them all anymore, he does acknowledge them.
“I respond to every email I get,” he said.
In addition to the free throws, here are three more things to follow in Wednesday's game against Arizona State (21-6, 8-6):
Start of a tough stretch for Iowa State women's basketball
The remainder of the season won’t be easy, with the Cyclones' final four games all coming against teams with winning records. So, taking care of business will be especially important as Iowa State tries to move up the Big 12 standings and secure a better seed for the NCAA Tournament. The remaining schedule includes road games at No. 11 TCU (23-4, 11-3) and Kansas State (14-13, 7-7).
Arizona State is one of the surprise stories of the season
New Arizona State coach Molly Miller has turned the Sun Devils into one of the best stories in women’s hoops this season. Miller, who came to Arizona State after a successful stint at Grand Canyon, has led the team to 21 wins.
This year marks the first time the Sun Devils have won 20 games since the 2019-20 season. They haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since the 2018-19 campaign, but thanks to Miller, they are poised for a return to the postseason.
Can Kenzie Hare keep up the momentum?
Hare followed up her big game at BYU with another important performance against Kansas State. She finished with nine points in the win over the Wildcats, including a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Providing the Cyclones with another strong shooter and scorer against Arizona State will be key.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball trying to find free throw consistency