Nobody in the Southern Conference shoots as many free throws as University of Tennessee at Chattanooga forward Shanara Hollinquest. In fact, nobody comes even close.
The 6-foot senior’s 108 free throws made this season, in 152 attempts, are more than anyone else, man or woman, has attempted. Furman’s Lee Stephens has the second-most attempts at 106.
Hollinquest, who was named the SoCon women’s player of the week Tuesday for the third time this season, leads the league in scoring (18.4 points per game) and rebounding (9.1 rpg). She’s averaging eight free throws a game and said the pounding she takes sometimes takes a toll on her body.
“Certain games it does,” she said Tuesday. “Teams like Davidson, they are constantly leaning on you, pushing on you, so games like that do. But other games it really doesn’t affect me that much.”
Hollinquest initiates a lot of the contact when she attacks the basket, but she said there are games when the frequent fouls get frustrating.
“A couple of times I have to just look the other way and turn the other cheek,” she said. “I just have to realize it’s part of the game.”
Hollinquest’s overall free-throw percentage this season is .711. She was 7-for-9 in last Saturday’s 68-66 win over Western Carolina, hitting two free throws with nine-tenths of a second left to give UTC (13-6, 8-2) its eighth win in a row.
Even though Hollinquest has struggled at the line at times this season, she’s close to automatic in the final few minutes of close games. She’s hit 14 of her last 15 free throws inside the final five minutes, including regulation and overtime in UTC’s double-overtime win over Richmond.
“I don’t care what Shanara has shot from the foul line for the first 35-36 minutes,” UTC coach Wes Moore said, “when it’s crunch time, the last couple of minutes — and in this case (last Saturday) the last few seconds, the last second — she seems to find a way to get it done. And that’s the mark of a winner.”
Hollinquest, a career 67 percent free-throw shooter, said she’s not sure why she is much more accurate late in games.
“Probably my mindset is different,” she said. “I know I have to make these free throws, so I try to go textbook: Get the arm in and make sure everything’s right.”
Her first free throw against Western Carolina moved her past Regina Kirk into first place on UTC’s all-time list for made free throws. Hollinquest has 425 for her career.
Hollinquest is now sixth on the Lady Mocs’ all-time scoring list with 1,488 points, 244 behind Alex Anderson for fifth. She’s also seventh in rebounds with 769.
The SoCon-leading Lady Mocs play at Furman on Saturday.