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FLORENCE -- University of North Alabama junior forward
Amber Rutherford is a national champion again, leading the NCAA
Division II in free throw percentage for a second straight season.
Rutherford, a
native of Hatton, Ala., made 93.6 of her free throw attempts during
the 2007-08 season to win her second NCAA Statistical National
Championship. Rutherford made 132 of 141 free throws this season and
finished almost three full percentage points ahead of Lindsey Maple
of Central Missouri who shot 90.7
Rutherford shot
93.7 percent from the free throw line in 2006-07, hitting 134 of
143.
For her
three-year career at UNA, Rutherford has made 394 of 428 free throw
attempts for a 91.8 career percentage. That mark would shatter all
existing career free throw marks at UNA, the Gulf South Conference
and in Division II.
The current UNA
career record is 82.9 percent by Taryn Causey from 2001-02. The
current Gulf South Conference career record is 86.5 by Jo Lynn Davis
of Delta State from 1986-89 and the current Division II career
record is 88.5 by Darlene Hildebrand of Philadelphia from 1992-95.
Rutherford's
efforts helped UNA finish 11th nationally as a team in free throw
percentage this season at 76.2
Former Lion
guard Becky Mauck is the only other UNA women's basketball player to
win a statistical national championship. In 1987-88 she led the
nation in both free throw percentage (87.9) and three-point field
goal percentage (56.3). |
