On the Ball

. . . which is now in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

time out: Someone lost a contact lens! But seriously . . . here are the Lady Greyhounds, in their pre-game huddle. No. 10, there, is Jen Behagg ’05, Hamburg, N.J., who made the final free-throw shots in the December 7 game against Susquehanna University, setting an NCAA record.

The Lady Greyhounds set an NCAA record by making 35 out of 35 free-throw attempts in their December 7 game with Susquehanna University.

In something of an anticlimax, they then went on to win the game, 61-53.

According to NCAA records, the 35-for-35 performance is the highest total for any level of the NCAA, men or women. The best women’s performance in history was by the University of Kansas with a 31-for-31 performance on February 11, 1996. The top men’s performance was 34-for-34 by the University of California at Irvine on February 21, 1981, and Samford University on December 20, 1990.

Maybe it’s their opponent. In fact, Moravian is now 53 for 53 against Susquehanna in its last two games at Johnston Hall. The Greyhounds’ 18-for-18 performance against Susquehanna on February 19, 2003, had been the highest perfect game total in Middle Atlantic Conference history prior to the December 7 game.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, requested the game ball.

The hall of fame also asked Moravian to provide a videotape of all 35 successful free throws, a game program, a ticket stub, and a box score from the game. These will go on display in February in a new wing called “New and Notable.”

The star of the free-throw victory was Katie Rizman ’07, Wall, N.J., who shot 11-for-11. Guard Jen Behagg ’05, Hamburg, N.J., sank a pair of free throws with one second remaining on the clock to finish off the perfect game.

The Greyhounds’ other free-throw shooters included forward Tracie Shipman ’04, Philadelphia, and forward Kelly Applegate ’07, Easton, each going five-for-five; and forward Lindsay Brase ’06, Bethlehem, guard Nicole Savino ’06, Macungie, and forward Jenny Hackleman ’07, Solvang, Calif., each going two-for-two at the foul line.