CHEROKEE, N.C. — Watch a basketball game at any level involving any gender, and in the first minutes, someone will shoot a 3-pointer.
And then another. And another.
The value of a 3-point shot has remained the same during the past decade — three points. But its place in the game has grown in stature, accelerating the usage of 3s.
The University of Toledo women’s basketball team is no different. Head coach Ginny Boggess doesn’t want the Rockets shooting 35 3s per game, but it’s an active ingredient in the offense.
“I don’t want to rely heavily on it,” Boggess said. “But we know the MAC is a really good 3-point shooting league. And we can’t survive if we’re not making them.”
Toledo had a 3-point breakthrough in Wednesday’s dramatic 70-62 victory over Troy. Not only did UT shoot 8 of 24 from beyond the arc, but the Rockets made critical 3s down the stretch, none more important than Khera Goss’ corner 3 as the shot clock expired to give Toledo a late 62-57 lead.
Entering the night, the Rockets ranked 247th (out of 353) in 3-point percentage (28.3). Last year, they shot 32.9 percent.
Boggess’ three teams at Monmouth shot 29.0, 32.7, and 31.9 percent, averaging 21.5 attempts over three seasons. Toledo attempted 20.4 3-point attempts per game last season, nearly one fewer than this year (21.1).
“It’s something that’s eventually going to click,” said sophomore guard Kendall Carruthers, who is 10 of 28 from long range. “Teams go through up and down stretches. You’re not going to shoot great every night, you’re going to shoot poorly every night.
“I think it's just about reps in practice. If you shoot at a fast speed in practice and you make them in practice, they’re going to translate to the game. It’s still early in the season. I believe we’re going to make huge improvements in that area.”
Destiny Robinson (3 of 7) and Sammi Mikonowicz (9 of 22) are shooting better than 40 percent from 3. Goss is 10 of 26. She and Mikonowicz are shooting career-best percentages.
The opposite is true for Nan Garcia, who made 37.5 percent of her 3s in the past two seasons. So far, she is just 8 of 28, although she made two important ones against Troy. Cadence Dykstra, Faith Fedd-Robinson, and Evalyse Cole are a combined 5 of 28. And Ella Weaver, armed with the prettiest shooting form on the team, is mired in a confounding 3 for 22 start.
“We do shoot it better in practice,” Lanier said. “But in some ways that’s letting us know we’re not practicing hard enough. It’s telling us we need to get the shots in practice at the same pace that we’re getting them in games. We’re rushed a little bit in games. We’re cutting harder in games, so we’re a little bit more uncomfortable.
“You can go in the gym and say, I put up 400 3-pointers. But if you’re standing still shooting 400, you don’t get those shots in the game. I think you’ll continue to see, even this week, we practice harder, we practice at a much higher pace than we have in the last week or so, and we’re probably missing a little bit more in practice than we normally do. But we’re preparing ourselves to get those shots in the game.”
Even two or three more 3s per game can impact how opponents defend Toledo, especially if there’s potential for the Rockets to drive to the basket. The floor will be stretched, opening the lane and giving more room for Hannah Noveroske and Jessica Cook to work near the hoop. Plus, an increase in made baskets equals a higher confidence teamwide, while converting offensively applies pressure to the defense.
“We’re already applying pressure on the rim with our pace,” Boggess said. “If we apply pressure in closeout situations too, then we’re really cooking the way that we want to be.”
The change in philosophy has given Goss more freedom to hunt for high-percentage shots that weren’t always available in the past. Defensively, she hasn’t picked up the ball full court as frequently, allowing her to conserve energy and leg strength for offense.
Five MAC teams rank in the top 100 nationally in 3s per game (Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Miami, and Northern Illinois). NIU, Kent, Bowling Green, and Miami rank in the top 100 in 3-point percentage.
“Right now, we’re still trying to learn the offense and learn to play with each other,” Lanier said. “Sometimes it’s, oh shoot, I’m open. We’re a little bit surprised when we’re open, so the shot’s not as much in rhythm. It’s less of our kids not shooting the ball well and more we’re not comfortable in the flow of the offense yet to understand where the shots are coming from.
“That’ll come as we get used to playing with each other. It needs to.”
First Published December 18, 2024, 9:29 p.m.
